Shuttle Re-entry

[Fly_Chick]

Has anyone seen a shuttle re-entry, particularly at night? STS114 is scheduled back Monday morning at 4:46 am EDT. Just wondering what to expect or what to look for. The news stated there would be a sonic boom.

I have not seen any TFRs yet for the re-entry time-frame either.

 

[KigAir]

How many night landings have there been? I thought all landings were done during the day.

 

[lowlycfi]

Saw one at night once. It was about 4am and I was walking to a deer blind up in the Texas Hill Country. Scared the s--- out of me at first because I had no idea what it was. Looked like a BIG meteor except it was traveling horizontally and leaving a big smoke/vapor trail that was backlit by moonlight. Very cool. Didn't know what I was looking at until I got home and read the newspaper and saw the shuttle had come home.

 

[ifleyelearz]

I heard it'll be coming from the south this time...over Cuba and the Gulf. Too bad I'm not in FL...that would be a pretty sweet site!

 

[Fly_Chick]

I heard it'll be coming from the south this time...over Cuba and the Gulf. Too bad I'm not in FL...that would be a pretty sweet site!

Anyone know what rwy, 15 or 33? If from the south I am assuming rwy 33. Someone once posted the approach plate, yet cannot find it right now.

 

[Flying Illini]

Should be pretty cool. I'm a little surprised they are doing this one at night. All launches have to be during the day for photographs...figured that for the first re-entry, this one would have to be during the day as well.

Funny isn't it? The news has the timeframe for reentry, yet the FAA hasn't issued a TFR yet. And people wonder why pilots bust TFRs...b/c they pop up at the last minute when they've known about the need to issue this particular one for nearly 9 days now!

 

[Resume Writer]

I just hope the re-entry is without tragedy. Commander Husband on the last shuttle was the brother of an AWA pilot that I used to fly with all the time. It was a very sad time for the family. He was very proud of his brother.
Kathy

 

[User546]

There's been quite a few night time shuttle landings. None in the past couple years I can think of, but at the begining of the the shuttle program they came in quite frequently at night.

A search on the web revealed that up to 2001, there had been 18 night landings previously. 13 having landed in Florida.

 

[TonyC]

There's been quite a few night time shuttle landings. None in the past couple years I can think of,...

Of course, there haven't been any day landings in the last couple of years, either.







.

 

[KigAir]

Anyone know what rwy, 15 or 33? If from the south I am assuming rwy 33. Someone once posted the approach plate, yet cannot find it right now.

I'd like to hear their missed approached brief.