Stormy Day at Edwards Air Force Base
|
The Space Shuttle Atlantis is being prepared for delivery from Edwards Air Force Base to the Kennedy Space Center. On Friday, May 29 I drove to Edwards to photograph the Space Shuttle in the Mate/Demate Device at the Dryuden Flight Reseaerch Center. The media convoy gathered at Century Circle, just outside the west gate to the base. Towering cumulonimbus clouds loomed over the area, rumbling with thunder. Rain poured from multiple thunderdells, and downbursts kicked up plumes of dust from the desert floor. The turbulent sky made a drmatic backdrop for the displayed airplanes.
North American YF-100A Super Sabre 52-5755
McDonnell F-101B-105 Voodoo 58-0288
Convair TF-102A Delta Dagger 54-1353
McDonnell Douglas YC-15 Advanced Medium STOL Transport prototype N15YC is seen beyond Lockheed F-104A Starfighter 56-0790 and Republic F-105D-20 Thunderchief 61-0146.
Republic F-105D-20 Thunderchief 61-0146
Convair F-106B Delta Dart 59-0158
McDonnell Douglas YC-15 N15YC
Rain started falling on Century Circle while we waited to drive to the NASA Dryden Flight Research Center.
Space Shuttle Atlantis OV-104 in the Mate/Demate Device at Edwards Air Force Base following STS-125 on May 29, 2009. Preparations for the departure of Atlantis were interrupted by lightning and high winds from the thunderstorms moving through the area. The work area was closed and we were unable to approach closer the Mate/Demate Device than this. Insatlation of the tail cone was delayed by several hours forcing a postponement of the departure from Sunday to Monday morning shortly before sunrise.
With unexpected free time on my hands, I photographed the airplanes displayed in front of Dryden.
Display airplanes at the NASA Dryden Flight Research Center include Lockheed F-104G Starfighter chase plane N826NA, the second Grumman X-29 forward-swept wing demonstrator 82-0049, the digital fly-by-wire Vought F-8 Crusader N802NA, and the supercritical wing F-8 Crusader N810NA.