Everything came together nicely this morning. Weather was perfect. SCA/Endeavor took off around 7:20am with the C-9 Vomit Comet right behind and the T-38 flying close chase on the DC-9. After going south the C-9 split so that by the time they came back from Patricks AFB flying north over the Visitors Center (where I was) it was just the SCA with the T-38 flying loose off the left wing. One pass directly over us then a 360 to come back around over Shuttle Landing Runway where the T-38 pulled in real nice and tight, and then just like that.. it was over.

Great flyover NASA! Here's a couple of my shots from this morning.

I followed everything that was livecast by JSC TV and KHOU the Houston TV channel via Internet feed from beginning to end. It was excellent with live comments from Shuttle astronauts at the air field.. I captured some screen shots of the flight and then the landing. I will post whatever is decent.

Those who were at Ellington got really lucky. Everybody was so close to the runways and there seemed to be very little restrictions with free access to all -- including continuous viewing of Endeavour from a distance of 100 ft until 9.00 PM tonight local time.

I was at KSC from STS-134 launch scrub (last flight) I waited all that time in Orlando until launch. No regret. It was an awesome experience a really beautiful launch despite the low clouds - not my first not my last - the same with STS-135 and Atlantis last liftoff.

Tomorrow will be the very last time we will be able to see a Space Shuttle taking to the skies.
So sad and nostalgic.

I hope Endeavour will enjoy her new life as a Museum artifact after she is set up for exhibition at the California Science center.

     

I am too late to edit my post. This is a nice picture gallery of Endeavour from KHOU
Shuttle Endeavour arrived in Houston on Wednesday, Sept. 19, 2012

http://www.khou.com/news/slideshows/...ornia-170328336.html?gallery=y&c=y

Space Shuttle Endeavour touches down in Houston

article with video

HOUSTON – The retired Space Shuttle Endeavour arrived in Houston on Wednesday morning after a two-day weather delay.
Houstonians all around town were treated to a 90-minute flyover as the shuttle rode on the back of a specially-fitted NASA 747.

more here:
http://www.khou.com/news/local/Shutt...ouston-on-Wednesday-170222276.html

I hope there will be much broadcasting of tomorrow's flight. I will be following Shuttle Endeavour and the SCA remotely via the Internet.



    

So that was that 3rd aircraft I saw in the video - the C-9 Vomit comet. I was watching the video on my phone as I was waiting for it to pass MCO. I was thinking it was the NASA G-2, but I was watching the video while on my way to the MCO roof and couldn't see what that plane was.

Here is what I got from MCO roof

http://www.airport-data.com/aircraft/photo/801658.html

It was 1500 ft up, flying east to west tail lit and it was hazy - so yeah not the best shot in the world and with my old camera - bought a new one today 8 hours too late. The T-38 flew right over my head but I didn't get it, too busy shooting the Shuttle and 747. Looks like you guys on the coast had some good light. I got off work at 6:45am, no way I could have made it there so I went to MCO.

Quoting NASCARAirforce (Reply 3): So that was that 3rd aircraft I saw in the video - the C-9 Vomit comet. I was watching the video on my phone as I was waiting for it to pass MCO. I was thinking it was the NASA G-2, but I was watching the video while on my way to the MCO roof and couldn't see what that plane was.

Yep the C-9.. it took off right behind the 747... I mean maybe 2 miles seperation at the most, and the C-9 had the T-38 tucked pretty close.. was nice seeing all 4 birds together (I've always been a fan of dissimiliar aircraft formations). From news footage I saw from Cocoa Beach the C-9, after leaving my view, got in echelon formation off the 747's left wing, with the T-38 off of its left wing.. looked awesome on TV. At one point while waiting for the SCA to come over us after it headed south I saw the C-9 circling in the distance by itself, and when the SCA did our flyover the C-9 was nowhere to be seen but the T-38 flew loose formation for the run over the Visitors Complex then tightened up real close after the 360 as it made its run south to north over the SLRunway.

Oh and nice pic btw, what altitude were they at roughly when they came over MCO?

I heard it was going to flyby at White Sands, NM. Any chance I'll see it from here in PHX enroute from there to Dryden?

Quoting 4holer (Reply 5): I heard it was going to flyby at White Sands, NM. Any chance I'll see it from here in PHX enroute from there to Dryden?

Looks like its going to be flying over Tucson sometime around noon tomorrow! Its supposed to be a tribute to former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords as her husband, Mark Kelly, was the commander of Endeavor's last mission. Obviously this is worth skipping class and I'm hopeful I'll get a good view of it from the campus. I've never really seen any of the space shuttles in person, and I figured my only chance to see one of them would if they for some reason decided to fly over Tucson during the ferry flight to California - but now its actually happening!!!

Thank you for posting your pictures HaveBlue.

All these lucky people at Ellington got access to the SCA and orbiter yesterday all with beautiful weather. Looks like there was no restrictions to get to the ships.

http://twitpic.com/awe6t6

Waiting to see if I can find a live feed of them leaving Ellington for their journey across country to LAX.

Those who will be on the flight path and at LAX please get us some nice pictures.

     

Space Shuttle Endeavour at the California Science Center - link:
http://www.californiasciencecenter.o...irAndSpace/endeavour/endeavour.php

Info from twitter for all of us remote viewers:
Headed to #SpotTheShuttle this morning. Scheduled to leave Houston at 7a. LIVE coverage all morning. @KPRCLocal2

http://www.click2houston.com/

[Edited 2012-09-20 02:23:21]

From Twitter:
NASA ‏@NASA
#OV105 continues west today. Planned: a final nod to @NASA_Johnson, over Austin, to El Paso, NM, Tucson & then @NASADryden #spottheshuttle

There is a refueling stop in El Paso TX.

Has anyone got the call sign for the flight? Would like to try tracking Endeavour/SCA on Fliightaware
Any chance they are using OV105 as a call sign?

    

More on the route via Twitter
Liz Carr ‏@Toby1Kanobe
“@casciencecenter: LOCAL shuttle flyovers 9/21, 10:30am: list continued..@TheQueenMary @UniStudios @go2VeniceBeach #spottheshuttle

SCA and Shuttle will fly over The Queen Mary! Yay!

     

Updated:
Just found the T38 call sign between KEFD and KELP (el paso)

National Aeronautic… NASA921 T38 Arrivé dim. 14h52 CDT 15h22 MDT dim.
http://fr.flightaware.com/live/fligh...1/history/20120916/1952Z/KEFD/KELP

I suppose they are going to keep this same call sign all the way to LAX?

  

[Edited 2012-09-20 06:15:00]

I looked at Flightaware trying to track the SCA/Endeavour flight with no success.
This is an interesting page. Not sure if it is 100% accurate though.

Space Shuttle Endeavour Travel Itinerary from Florida to California

I have created a google map listing the route Endeavour will take to California including stop over cities and flyover areas.

Take a look here:
http://drscifi.com/2012/09/15/space-...nerary-from-florida-to-california/

Twitter picture at Biggs air field for their refueling stop.
https://twitter.com/astronaut_cat/status/248793925140226049/photo/1/large

A video from NASA T38 chase plane
Endeavour Soars Over Houston

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oBegeMCqPtY&feature=youtu.be

I like pictures # 4 and 5
Photos: Space shuttle stops in El Paso

The space shuttle Endeavour landed at Fort Bliss just after 8 a.m. today. The Endeavour, riding atop a modified 747 aircraft, is stopping in El Paso this morning as it flies over the region during its cross-country farewell tour celebrating the end of the space shuttle program.
Read story
http://photos.elpasotimes.com/2012/0...huttle-endeavour-stops-in-el-paso/


  

[Edited 2012-09-20 08:17:18]

I managed to get some decent pics of Endeavor as it flew over Tucson today! They were saying is was going to fly right over the center of campus, but it actually ended going off to the side a bit which somewhat hampered the view because of the surrounding buildings. Still cool to see though!

You got some nice pictures there especially the center one.

Space Shuttle Endeavour is expected to land in California any minute now (via CNN)

http://ow.ly/i/X6yv

  

Those SCA pilots are really lucky. They will be the Last to Fly a Space Shuttle!

        

Great Pictures All. I was lucky to get a front row seat. It was crazy how many guys lined Taxiway C, and all the people on the Hotels. Some guys got there view blocked by a China Airlines A340  

The People starting to line the Taxiway.

touchdown

Touchdown

Too tired to write much of anything, but spent an amazing morning up at Imperial Hill. Good weather, good company, and obviously, good subjects to shoot. All my photos are here:

http://www.vksphoto.com/Airplanes/Ai...vour-Arrives-in-LA/25506753_KXzqLG

Here is a selection:

Funny thing is I was on the other side of the runway watching everyone at Imperial Hill. My pictures aren't as good but here what I have.




I'm hoping to get over there tonight when they pull the shuttle off the 747, they are prepping it as I'm writing this, I hope my airplane isn't a pig and I get to drive over.

David

Touch down, they are getting ready to tow the Shuttle inside the Hangar.





The 747 looking and feeling a little lighter

David

Here's one of my shots. What a great experience, seeing the shuttle fly one last time.


End of an Era - Space Shuttle Endeavour Flies for the Last Time by Silver1SWA (Ryan Pastorino), on Flickr

Quoting Silver1SWA (Reply 16): Here's one of my shots. What a great experience, seeing the shuttle fly one last time.

Hey, how do they balance it on the tower like that???

 

Quoting vikkyvik (Reply 17): Hey, how do they balance it on the tower like that???

They got all of the pigeons inside to hover!  

Great shots guys. I got to see a few shuttle launches, but never the shuttle and the 747 together. They look like they belong together sometimes.

[Edited 2012-09-23 06:17:24]

Quoting Silver1SWA (Reply 16): Here's one of my shots.

A great catch!

  

I hope some of you out there in the Los Angeles area will get us some pictures of the Space Shuttle Endeavour procession through the streets on her way to the California Science Center. That will be quite an unusual sight.

There is a itinerary map on this link:

Mission 26: The Big Endeavour
Space Shuttle Endeavour arrives at the Science Center in 20 days!

Endeavour will spend a few weeks at a United Airlines hangar undergoing preparations for transport and display. Then, Endeavour will travel through city streets on a 12-mile journey from the airport to the California Science Center, arriving in the evening on October 13, 2012. This will be the first, last and only time a space shuttle will travel through urban, public city streets. It is truly a national treasure!

http://www.californiasciencecenter.o.../endeavour/Mission26/Mission26.php

  

To add to the Endeavour picture list:

Quoting ThePointblank (Reply 20): To add to the Endeavour picture list:

Your pictures are really interesting and of excellent quality.

This is the kind of pictures we did not get to see. Thank you for posting them.

Were you on board one of the chase planes?

       

Quoting MadameConcorde (Reply 21): Your pictures are really interesting and of excellent quality. This is the kind of pictures we did not get to see. Thank you for posting them. Were you on board one of the chase planes?

Nope, they are from Lockheed Martin's Flicker account:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/lockheedmartin

There's more pictures as well, as the Shuttle flew by Lockheed Martin's SkunkWorks enroute to California:



Last one is not of Endeavour, but of Discovery, but in mid-air.


[Edited 2012-10-02 18:12:58]

Quoting ThePointblank (Reply 22): Nope, they are from Lockheed Martin's Flicker account:

That last picture.... wonderful!

Here's a nice video. I like the fact that it's muted. You can add your own music to it.

FA18 extended view of Space Shuttle Endeavour's flyover Southern California
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bVPNDhOWutk

     

That beautiful ship will now be turned into a museum artifact.
I heard she was going to be presented to the public in launch mode complete with her boosters?
Are there any news on that?

Anybody here went to see the Endeavour street procession from LAX to the Science Museum? I would like to see pictures and videos of that... They had to take down all these trees... that will be replaced. Must be quite a unique sight to see a Space Shuttle "walking" the streets!!!