Hard to Say GOOD BY!
 

Well, for the past 19 years, I have been one of the pool photographers at NASA, Kennedy Space Center.
Shuttle Discovery, The Flag ship of the shuttle fleet, Yesterday Flew its last mission, on top if a NASA Shuttle Carrier Aircraft (SCA), a modified 747 jet, to Washington Dulles International Airport where it will spend its days to come at the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum ( Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center) in Chantilly, Va.
I arrived at the spec center at 3:15A.M. Tuesday 17 April 2012...... Our group of 6 pool photographers loaded our van and headed out for our last views of a Discovery Lift-Off (so to speak).
This is my small tribute to a space ship, its crews and the program for my 18 years of the past 40 years of the Space Program.

Hope you all enjoy the photos:


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GOOD BY DISCOVERY!

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Outstanding photos. Thanks for posting them and also for your service to our space program.

Best wishes.

Great pictures, thanks for posting them Gary!!:)

Nice photos. Thank you for sharing.

Great photos!

Very nice! Thanks, Gary.

Super! I was fortunate to be in Orlando at the time of a launch and I could see itout of my hotel window. Very exciting. Thanks for the great pics!

Thank you for sharing these pictures. If you have some other favorite pictures that you have taken in the past I for one would love to see them.

That's awesome! I wanted to take off to go take some photos, but couldn't get off work. You guys need photographers where you're at? :D

Great photographs!

Gary take Pride In Knowing you got to take Pictures of History.
They will always be part of your Life and Memories.
Great pics and Thanks for Posting them for us...........................


Clyde

Great photos. Thanks for sharing!

Jim

Thanks for sharing those historical photos!

And for your viewing pleasure, The last launch at Kennedy Space Center and the ;last landing
Enjoy!



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Fantastic pictures Gary.............you should be a photographer!!!!:D:Dnanner

Thanks to all
My friends keep on telling me that I SHOULD GET A REAL JOB:faint:funnyfunnyfunny

I keep on saying WHY?:cool:

Your Job is what you enjoy doing........


Clyde

Those pictures are just outstanding!:) Mike

:chopper:

Thanks Gary for sharing these photos. Im heading to DC in a week and look forward to going to see her. I wonder how long it will take to get her to the Smithsonian. Id like to see pics of that! :eek:


Very Cool! Thanks again!:cool:







Noel

Was at Coco Beach a few weeks ago..not an adundance of folks looking to vote for the current administration this time around, it seems. I'll miss the shuttle

If you want someone to go with, hit me up and I'll go with you. I'd like to see it, too. I'm just across the river in MD, about 1/2 hr. to 45 min. from Dulles. I'll just have to get the address of the place for my GPS. As long as it's on a weekend, so I don't have to worry about work. :(

Those are some awesome photos. Piece of history right there.

I have seen the SCA pass by before (I live close to Barksdale AFB), but I never noticed that drag reducing prosthetic that they put over the jet nozzles on the shuttle while it's being transported.


Jason

Thanks for the additional pictures. Sweet!

I lived near Daytona and was able to see most of the shuttle launches. WOW! Regrettably, I saw The Challenger launch. These brave people and this program make you very proud to be an American. Great photos. Thank you very much.

And how about that double boom on re-entry. Fabulous.

The Double BOOM on re-entry was always music to my ears, That friends of mine were coming home.......................

Mine too. As I watched each launch I'd poor on the prayers for a safe voyage. That double boom was the answer to those prayers. Praise God!

Thanks for the great pics....and another reminder that Houston is lacking a shuttle.

Thanks to all for the nice comments on the photos. If you would like, when I get a chance I will post some more Launch and ladings.

Gary

There is nothing like well taken pictures!!! Can not wait to see more!!!!!




BigSmoke - I will only be there during the week hopefully. I wonder if there is a time in the evening to see her. If not we still should get together for dinner. PM your number and I will give ya a call.