The space shuttle

[Weasels wake]

From a good buddy of mine in Santa Cruz, it went right over his house today at about 1000 feet ~



It went over my house also, I saw it, but it was at about 25K feet, nothing but a con trail, with something shinny at the front, but loud.

[SoCalSupper]

great shots-was driving south on 405 near Long Beach and it flew right over me!

[surfcowboy]

I was in the Valley when it flew by at 800 ft. Amazing sight.

[AJR]

Really cool - I'd that a Virgin America plane it's piggy-backing?...

[Celeste]

It is NASA's modified 747.  I believe it was built specially for that.  If you recall, the shuttles use to land at Edwards Air Force Base and get carried back to Florida.  The tail had to be changed because the shuttle on top changed the way air flowed over the tail

[Weasels wake]

It is NASA's modified 747.  I believe it was built specially for that.  If you recall, the shuttles use to land at Edwards Air Force Base and get carried back to Florida.  The tail had to be changed because the shuttle on top changed the way air flowed over the tail

No way!!!
It's the shuttle!!!  It's amazing that that little shuttle has enough power to lift that 747 up and fly around, truly amazing, American inventiveness will never be equaled!

[LaPerouseBay]

^ That's funny.

Here's the wiki page:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shuttle_Carrier_Aircraft

My favorite passage.   

The flight crew escape tunnel system was later removed following the completion of the Approach and Landing Tests (ALT) due to concerns over possible engine ingestion of an escaping crew member.

The fuel used is about 5 times that of an unladen 747. 

Flying with the additional drag and weight of the Orbiter imposed significant fuel and altitude penalties. The range was reduced to 1,000 nautical miles (1,850 km), compared to an unladen range of 5500 nautical miles (10,100 km),

Unladen, I like that word.

[SUPerstitious]

I had the great privilege to be on my SUP on Friday in Manhattan Beach when it did the low pass over LAX before circling around for the actual landing. It went over my head while on a wave at El Porto. Amazing view...just wish I had a camera at the time.

[Dealmaker]

Here's the "South Bay Pass" taken with a relatively mediocre camera from Highland and 20th.  Wish I was a mile north or a mile south...

[Weasels wake]

Saw these online, really like them, soooo Cali.

[Dealmaker]

I don't think any bystanders got closer than the ones on Aviation Blvd. when she came in for her landing...(not my photos)