Just some straight-up bad-assery (F-15E & Space Shuttle)

[Milchstrasse]

Actually, I just couldn't find anywhere else to post this:

And another

Any of you been lucky enough to fly one of these missions?

Edited December 16, 2013 by Milchstrasse

[Tonka]

That SAM operator is a horrible shot.

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[HiFlyer]

Actually, I just couldn't find anywhere else to post this:

And another

Any of you been lucky enough to fly one of these missions?

Close, but not exactly. After the Challenger disaster NASA was looking for shuttle launch pictures from another view aspect. When they started flying again, we loaded up a U-2 with a camera (the old "H" cam) and flew over the Cape at about 70K when they launched. The objective was to get high res pictures of the shuttle/booster interaction from above. I still have a blowup of one of the shots in my basement. Fun sortie!

[Buddy Spike]

Close, but not exactly. After the Challenger disaster NASA was looking for shuttle launch pictures from another view aspect. When they started flying again, we loaded up a U-2 with a camera (the old "H" cam) and flew over the Cape at about 70K when they launched. The objective was to get high res pictures of the shuttle/booster interaction from above. I still have a blowup of one of the shots in my basement. Fun sortie!

Pics?

[HiFlyer]

Pics?

Hmmm. Might be tough to do. The one print I have is about 18x30 and mounted on a foam board. It was a PR shot used in a NASA briefing at Patrick. I guess I could take a picture of it with my Nikon and try to upload it. The rest are probably buried in some film archive at NASA or the National Archives. Also, its black and white...not near as pretty as the color one the F-15 guys took!

[Milchstrasse]

Pics or it didn't happen. I really would love to see that. Were you able to see the shuttle arcing into the inky blackness once it passed 70,000?

[billy pilgrim]

Looks like the Eagle may have a fleeting WEZ in the second one... The first is definitely a valid separation.

[Spoo]

And you are definitely a dork.

[Danger41]

That is a dedicated wingman in picture 1. Eyes stay on lead the whole time, no matter what.

[Marco]

Second pic is an A-model. Circa 2005 from my Guard unit.

[Dupe]

That is a dedicated wingman in picture 1. Eyes stay on lead the whole time, no matter what.

What do you think a WSO does on a "go watch the Space Shuttle" sortie? Get the shot and play "rocket man" at the right time....

[Cap-10]

The first pic is an F-15E from Shady J...photog is a WSO from my squadron that does some semi pro photography on the side...nature pics while hiking, sailing, etc.

Cap-10

[JarheadBoom]

Hmmm. Might be tough to do. The one print I have is about 18x30 and mounted on a foam board. It was a PR shot used in a NASA briefing at Patrick. I guess I could take a picture of it with my Nikon and try to upload it. The rest are probably buried in some film archive at NASA or the National Archives. Also, its black and white...not near as pretty as the color one the F-15 guys took!

Personally, I wouldn't mind even a crappy cellphone picture-of-a-picture...

[HiFlyer]

Personally, I wouldn't mind even a crappy cellphone picture-of-a-picture...

I'll work on it...

[Grabby]

Are these the U-2/Shuttle pics you were referencing?

https://blackbirds.net/u2/u2_photo_gallery/shuttle-launch-images/

[Milchstrasse]

Are these the U-2/Shuttle pics you were referencing?

https://blackbirds.net/u2/u2_photo_gallery/shuttle-launch-images/

"Also I'm looking for more info on these flights, such as pilots that flew the flights, interesting stories and tail numbers of the aircraft that flew the flights......please email John"

[HiFlyer]

"Also I'm looking for more info on these flights, such as pilots that flew the flights, interesting stories and tail numbers of the aircraft that flew the flights......please email John"

Yes, those are some of the images. When looking at the original imagery on a light table the clarity was amazing, although you lose a lot when they're copied and printed on paper. Clarifying my earlier comment, I did not actually fly the sorties; I had been the U-2 Det Commander at Patrick a bit earlier, and was at Beale when the first flight was flight was actually flown and at the Recce Center at HQ SAC for the second. I did a lot of the staff work with the NASA and 45th Space Wing people at KSC and the Cape to set up the track and procedures. I don't have the records to determine which of the pilots flew the missions, but I do recall the debriefings. The pilots had a great time on a very difficult mission The H-camera only moved side to side, so manually adjusting the camera azimuth from the cockpit while banking/yawing the aircraft at high altitude to try to keep the shuttle in the field of view was a real delicate maneuver and not without some risk of stalling at altitude.

Edited December 18, 2013 by HiFlyer

[HiFlyer]

Old and digitally challenged, but here are some thumbnails of my two prints.

[C-21.Pilot]

Old and digitally challenged, but here are some thumbnails of my two prints.

That's just bad a$$…..thanks for sharing

[donkey]

That's just bad a$$…..thanks for sharing

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