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Air Traffic Monitoring => Listener Forum => Topic started by: Squawk 7700 on September 18, 2012, 02:09:48 PM

Title: San Francisco Bay Area Shuttle Flyover 0930 Golden Gate
Post by: Squawk 7700 on September 18, 2012, 02:09:48 PM
This just in:

San Francisco Bay Area Flyover.

MOFFETT FIELD, Calif. -­ NASA's ferry flight of space shuttle Endeavour atop the 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft (SCA) has been scheduled for the morning of Friday, Sept. 21. I hear around 0830?

http://www.nasa.gov/centers/ames/home/index.html

Ken
Title: Re: San Francisco Bay Area Shuttle Flyover
Post by: tyketto on September 18, 2012, 08:06:07 PM
This just in:

San Francisco Bay Area Flyover.

MOFFETT FIELD, Calif. -­ NASA's ferry flight of space shuttle Endeavour atop the 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft (SCA) has been scheduled for the morning of Friday, Sept. 21. I hear around 0830?

http://www.nasa.gov/centers/ames/home/index.html

Ken

And Sacramento, too! It should also hit Houston, Galveston, Las Cruces, El Paso, Edwards AFB, and parts of SoCal before landing at LAX.

http://www.sacbee.com/2012/09/17/4826135/endeavour-tribute-tour-to-include.html

BL.
Title: Re: San Francisco Bay Area Shuttle Flyover
Post by: Squawk 7700 on September 19, 2012, 11:46:42 AM
Is there a current Flightaware track for this flight?
Title: Re: San Francisco Bay Area Shuttle Flyover
Post by: EricSanJose on September 19, 2012, 12:40:30 PM
Not currently, but follow N905NA (the 747 shuttle carrier).
http://flightaware.com/live/flight/N905NA
I did not log on early enough to see if the map was updating with the planes track.
The flight also originates in Central Florida instead of from Kennedy Space Center on the coast, so not sure how accurate it will be in flight.
Title: Re: San Francisco Bay Area Shuttle Flyover
Post by: tyketto on September 19, 2012, 07:41:26 PM

Here's a question I hope our resident controllers can answer.

We know that the SCA is being ferried on top of a B747 (perhaps -200 series?). We also know that per the .65, an aircraft is suffixed with 'heavy' if it has an MTOW of 300,000lbs or more. However, the A380 is suffixed with 'super' because of its MTOW (1.2 million lbs) and the wake turbulence it creates.

The question: what is the MTOW of the B747 that is ferrying Endeavour? And what is the MTOW limit between being classified as 'heavy' and 'super'?, and finally, what suffix would this B747 get?

BL.
Title: Re: San Francisco Bay Area Shuttle Flyover
Post by: dave on September 19, 2012, 10:15:49 PM
We know that the SCA is being ferried on top of a B747 (perhaps -200 series?). We also know that per the .65, an aircraft is suffixed with 'heavy' if it has an MTOW of 300,000lbs or more. However, the A380 is suffixed with 'super' because of its MTOW (1.2 million lbs) and the wake turbulence it creates.

The question: what is the MTOW of the B747 that is ferrying Endeavour? And what is the MTOW limit between being classified as 'heavy' and 'super'?, and finally, what suffix would this B747 get?

BL.

The A380-800 (A388) is the only aircraft that gets the "Super" designation (and only applicable here in the USA, as far as I know).  It is mainly due to the unique wake vortex aspects of the A388.  I don't believe there is a weight designation assigned to "Super" as of yet since this designation has only been given to the A388, as far as I know.

See: http://www.faa.gov/documentLibrary/media/Notice/N7110.582.pdf    That FAA document describes all ATC procedures applicable to the A388.

The MTOW of the SCA (747) is around 710,000 lbs. and those aircraft get the regular "Heavy" designation.  Today the SCA was using the callsign "ASTRO 95 Heavy," for example.

Title: Re: San Francisco Bay Area Shuttle Flyover
Post by: Squawk 7700 on September 20, 2012, 11:56:13 AM
Routing Update:

A modified jumbo jet carrying the space shuttle Endeavour is scheduled to fly over several California venues on Friday. Ian Gregor of the FAA provided Launch Alert with the following information:

"You can expect the shuttle to fly over the state Capitol in Sacramento
sometime after 8 a.m.

You can expect the shuttle to enter the San Francisco Bay Area after 8:30
a.m. It will fly over the following places.

(Listed In alphabetical order but not necessarily the track)

Over Golden Gate Bridge at 0930
Hayward
Oakland
Redwood City
Richmond
San Bruno
San Mateo
Sausalito

You can expect the shuttle to enter the LA Basin sometime after 10 a.m. It
will fly over the following places.

Boeing plant in Seal Beach
California Science Center
Disneyland
Getty Museum
Griffith Observatory
Huntington Beach
JPL
LA City Hall
Queen Mary
Santa Monica Pier
Space X in Hawthorne
Universal Studios"

Thanks to Brian Webb of Launch Alert for providing this ionformation.
http://www.spacearchive.info/newsletter.htm.
Title: Re: San Francisco Bay Area Shuttle Flyover 0930 Golden Gate
Post by: tyketto on September 20, 2012, 10:40:49 PM

UPDATE:

This will be one hour later than scheduled, due to trying to fog. They want the fog and marine layer to burn off, which at times could get down to 1500ft or lower.

Additionally, this is supposed to land at KLAX at 12:45pm local time, so expect the NorCal, SoCal, and LAX Tower feeds to be packed.

http://www.sacbee.com/2012/09/20/4840019/shuttle-endeavours-flyover-set.html

BL.
Title: Re: San Francisco Bay Area Shuttle Flyover 0930 Golden Gate
Post by: Squawk 7700 on September 21, 2012, 11:55:21 PM
Thanks guys for the coverage and info. "Astro 95" here and gone.

Looks like my feeds made an all time high today. :-D
Title: Re: San Francisco Bay Area Shuttle Flyover 0930 Golden Gate
Post by: Comm1 on September 22, 2012, 12:26:11 AM
Was there anything recorded today for KNUQ between 1715z and 1815z?
Title: Re: San Francisco Bay Area Shuttle Flyover 0930 Golden Gate
Post by: tyketto on September 24, 2012, 01:18:02 PM
Thanks guys for the coverage and info. "Astro 95" here and gone.

Looks like my feeds made an all time high today. :-D

Congrats!

I certainly was among those numbers, though I had a better experience as the SCA flew directly over my building at work. She went from the capital northeastbound (effectively shutting down all DUDES9 and FROGO7 departures), straight over my building on I-80 and Truxel, then looped back around towards the capital then down to the bay.

Immediately on after that I was on the feeds all day. Great stuff all around.

I do have to say that I feel bad for those who decided to head to In-n-Out on Sepulveda. They missed a good show. The Proud Bird had the best view.

EDIT: my bad. She did a low approach over the 24s, so they did get a good show.
The 1830Z - 2000Z clips in the archive should have everything for LAX.

BL.
Title: Re: San Francisco Bay Area Shuttle Flyover 0930 Golden Gate
Post by: jmx53 on September 26, 2012, 05:12:44 PM
Thanks for the feeds you provide Squawk7700!


One of the tower controllers at LAX has a photoblog and has posted some nice photos of the Endeavour's arrival:

http://fromthecontroltower.blogspot.com/2012/09/the-endeavour-has-landed.html
Title: Re: San Francisco Bay Area Shuttle Flyover 0930 Golden Gate
Post by: tyketto on September 26, 2012, 06:39:50 PM
Thanks for the feeds you provide Squawk7700!


One of the tower controllers at LAX has a photoblog and has posted some nice photos of the Endeavour's arrival:

http://fromthecontroltower.blogspot.com/2012/09/the-endeavour-has-landed.html

Those photos are SICK!!!

Love the one of the guys outside on the Admin building. And the passengers on the China Eastern 777 got the view of their lives.

BL.
Title: Re: San Francisco Bay Area Shuttle Flyover 0930 Golden Gate
Post by: joeyb747 on October 01, 2012, 01:39:46 PM
Both sets of pics are Awesome!! Great posts guys!!  8-)