Endeavours Final Flight

I rarely break from showing anything other than my art or related pics on my blog. Exceptions include New Years pics and studio shots.

But yesterdays event, Friday, September 21st 2012, I had to share. The Space Shuttle Endeavour making its final piggy-back flight atop a Boing 747,  doing a fly-over tour of Los Angeles and surrounding areas at only 1500 feet, which is only the height of a 15 story building. So close you could almost touch it.
Perfectly apropos since it was largely built here in Southern California.

I went to the Queen Mary in Long Beach to see it fly over.
Fortunately it flew directly over us at the Queen Mary.
Unfortunately it flew DIRECTLY over us at the Queen Mary.
I was hoping to get a shot of the Endeavor with the Queen Mary in it, oh well.

That made it tough to see the Shuttle itself from below.
But it was still really exciting and everyone was extremely proud.

It happened really quick so I was only able to get these six shots, I don't have a good enough video camera. Other areas were treated to multiple passes but here we got just one, lasting less than 10 seconds.

Later it will make a 12-mile journey on city streets from LAX to the California Science Center at Exposition Park where it will be on permanent display at the museum.

Its 12-mile journey will be a feat itself since it will require the removal of trees and the logistics of maneuvering through city streets around power poles and stoplight signals.

This move is similar to the huge rock that was moved through 3 counties and the streets of LA from Riverside this past spring to its final levitated resting place at LACMA (Los Angeles County Museum of Art). Picture slideshow here.
I guess we like moving REALLY BIG THINGS through our neighborhoods!
I suppose its good rocks can't fly!

Click on images for larger view