Space Shuttle Discovery Landing(Updated Pictures Pg. 2)

[MicrolightDriver]

Great photos of what still must be one of aviation's most jaw-dropping happenings. Even though lowering the landing gear is a last minute thing, it's still amazing to see it captured so clearly 'wheels up'.

Will you be there to see the piggyback ride over to Florida?

[Stu]

Ace shots

[hunterxf382]

Great shots.
The orbiter needs to slow to around 260mph for gear retraction I believe and she touches down at around 210mph.

I hope you mean gear extension Gareth..... retracting it might make for some tile damage.....

Back to the photos - simply stunning indeed..... Not a sight seen by very many - especially that close

[Ryan.]

What a machine the Space Shuttle is. Great captures of it as well.

[Darren Currie]

Great captures of a rare opportunity - Wow!

[Arthur Tee]

Sorry lads - but it beats the hell out of those other gliders at Portmoak and Dunstable!

Top shots!!!

Arthur

[garethbrum]

Great shots.
The orbiter needs to slow to around 260mph for gear retraction I believe and she touches down at around 210mph.

I hope you mean gear extension Gareth..... retracting it might make for some tile damage.....

Back to the photos - simply stunning indeed..... Not a sight seen by very many - especially that close

Absolutely mate - you're quite right of course!

PS See you at the weekend!

[whitus1]

pretty impressive well done!

[Buccaneer]

Stunning shots..................

[danspuggti]

That's about all I've got to say really other than "jammy git"

[tomcatforever]

Fantastic

[Rory76]

My ideal response would probably get censored, so I'll settle for ing!

I'd rate these in the top ten of anything I've seen on here if they were shot on a ropy camera-phone, once in a lifetime doesn't even cover the subject matter, but they're really well shot too.

First one's my favourite tho, a rarity even in this collection, don't think I recall ever seeing a clean shot of the shuttle on finals.

[^^Gord^^]

Awesome!

[CH2]

How do you top that? Amazing!!!

Aside a miracle flight of an SR71, you don't. Fantastic post, a first on UKAR?

The Shuttle maybe looking its age, but to replace it with something that looks like a reject from the Apollo programme is nuts.

[Tim Holden]

I have been to Florida for two takeoffs (both aborted) and 1 landing when I got the wrong day and heard the sonic booms whilst on the hulk ride at universal studios!

Stunning Pics mate. Consider me officially envious. I just watched the official NASA video of the landing. Were you standing between runway markers 4 & 5 wearing a blue top? If so you are in the official video. Man you were close!! lucky devil

Tim

[chrisward123]

Brill pictures! something you don't see everyday

[NeilH68]

Stunning photos...

[Lomcevak26]

What an opportunity! Very well captured and, yep, shot of the week for sure! Many thanks for posting.

[GBloore]

:clap:

That's about all I've got to say really other than "jammy git"

I can not thank you all enough for your kind words and praise. As many of you can imagine, clearly the chance of a lifetime.

The great thing about being from the US(aside from the idiotic yanks that ruin peoples shows at Duxford) is that I have no idea what some of the terms/praise means. What is "jammy git" ?

I have some more shots of after the landing and the euipment used to maintain/check the shuttle which I will post in another thread later.

Thanks again,

Glenn

[Wes_Howes]

Jammy git - you very lucky individual

Just echoing the sentiments here, great shots nothing else can be said really

[Worldnis]

Glenn,

Congratulations on your shots. I was fortunate to have seen this in '83 alas way before decent lenses and digital cams.
Did the shuttle stay on the runway for most of the day or have they 'cleaned up' this procedure?

Rob Nispeling

http://www.karo-aviation.nl

[GBloore]

Rob,

The Shuttle stays on the runway for a while after the landing. How long? I don't know, but I think it was quite some time.

Here are some shots the rollout and and chute, the post landing clean up work and equipment, the Security Helo and the Gulfstream that was shooting approaches prior to landing to finalize settigns for the orbiter and decide on what direction they would land. It is a highly modified Gulfstream. This is a quote from a gentleman named Rober Becker explaining the picture to someone.

"This is the space shuttle trainer. It's a highly modified Grumman Gulfstream G-II (G2). This aircraft has the ability to decend at a very steep angle due to the modifications. The thrust reversers can deploy in flight slowing the rate of decent, the ailerons will extend downward when the flaps are extended and the main landing gear can be extended without the nose gear as shown in this shot. All these mods allow the aircraft to simulate the high rate of decent that the space shuttle performs during it's landing approach. Another noteworthy mod done to this aircraft is in the cockpit. The left side is set up like the shuttle, whereas the right side is standard G-II."

[Bill16STN]

SUPURB!!!

[iskra750]

WOW what a set of pictures, you are so lucky to get so close, well done.

Regards

[Copper2]

I like the helo from Barstow Dagget.
The others aint bad either