posted 06-01-2011 02:37 PM               

I have two Columbia related stories. My family used to live in San Antonio, TX when I was a kid. We were overseas when Columbia made its first trip through on its delivery flight from Palmdale (starting with an over the road trip to Edwards). As such, I didn't get to see that trip. But I was onhand at the fence line overlooking the runway at Kelly when the 747 with Columbia made a stop I "believe" may have been late 1981 after STS-2. I shot a couple Polaroids of the flyover, but I can't seem to locate them. Typical shuttle ferry procedure at the time was to have the pair do one flyover of the runway, do a wide circle, and next land. That fence line was certainly packed with people who wanted to get a glimpse of the shuttle, and the ferry crew certainly didn't disappoint.

The second time I saw Columbia up close was in 1985 as the shuttle was headed back to KSC from its first major OMDP refit. My family had moved to Bellevue, NE at the time when my dad retired and it was a bit of a surprise to hear that NASA was going to bring the shuttle this far north. Well, Offutt treated it like a mini airshow. They opened the flightline area (and put up rope off boundaries). So Dad and I were standing on 6the tarmac where we normally would for an airshow. I had my Polaroid and he had a new Betacam video camera to shoot video of the flyby. As the 747 and shuttle did its first pass, the PA system began to play music from Star Trek II, the Wrath of Khan and I must say it was a pretty cool experience to watch as you hear Alexander Courage's 10 note fanfare playing at the front of the theme as the pair become visible in the distance. It sends goosebumps up my arms just thinking about it.

Final memory had to do with my very first model rocket that I built in 1981. I didn't know you could get rockets at craft stores, so I talked my folks into getting me an Estes Space Shuttle Columbia starter kit for my 11th birthday (I know the minimum age said 12, but I was motivated and had been building plastic models for a few years). We ordered it using a print ad in Boys Life magazine (I was a cub scout at the time). When it arrived, I spent the next few months building it and giving it a paintjob that resembled the box artwork. I didn't do a great job. It was built sturdy and looked like a shuttle, but I didn't use any sanding sealer on the fins and they were rough as ever (nice air drag). Its first two flights on the recommended low powered motors were not great as she was a bit heavy and I crammed way too much recovery wadding in it. But it survived. On the higher powered motors, she flew better.

posted 04-14-2013 12:16 PM            

We camped out on the banks of Indian River in Titusville on Thursday night. Unfortunately, there were partiers seemingly everywhere; some with bonfires, and lots of drunken revelry late into the night. We could hardly get to sleep.

Friday morning, April 10th, turns out the launch was scrubbed late in the countdown. The shuttle's five onboard computers couldn't get in sync, the redundancy sequencer was acting up.

Later that day (or Saturday morning, can't recall - will have to check notes) we decided to go to the Visitors' Center. To our surprise and great joy and they were indeed running tours up around the pad. The busses did not stop and one rule for passengers which they emphasized and enforced was "The windows must not be opened." Got a few pics of Columbia on the pad that day with the RSS rolled back.

So, Saturday night we decided to find a different launch viewing spot. Perhaps some place with a little more discipline and a lot less noise would be nice. We found our way to just outside of CCAFS Gate 1 in Port Canaveral.

We drove our camper truck off-road to near the water's edge and hunkered down for the night. The only intrusions were from the AF Security crews which passed by occasionally.

Sunday morning, April 12th, came the big day and the second launch attempt. A local AM channel was broadcasting NASA audio. We heard George Diller give us the play-by-play from KSC. The bird finally took flight. Yes! From our vantage point some ten miles away looking north it was a beautiful sight. That was one fabulous day!