<html>
<head>
<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8">
</head>
<body text="#000000" bgcolor="#FFFFFF">
<p>A great story.. Thanks for sharing<br>
Cecil</p>
<p><br>
</p>
<div class="moz-cite-prefix">On 10/14/2020 9:53 AM, HERBERT METZ
wrote:<br>
</div>
<blockquote type="cite"
cite="mid:269523766.137721.1602687199567@connect.xfinity.com">
<meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8">
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<div
style="font-size:12pt;font-family:helvetica,arial,sans-serif;"
class="default-style">
<div> O.T. <br>
</div>
<div class="default-style" style="font-size: 12pt; font-family:
helvetica,arial,sans-serif;"> Received this email from a loval
antique tractor enthusiast friend. <br>
</div>
<div class="default-style" style="font-size: 12pt; font-family:
helvetica,arial,sans-serif;"> <br>
</div>
<div class="yiv1280526314ydpbbeef67cyiv7379939446MsoNormal">
Being in Outter Space: <span style="font-size: 10pt;
font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; color: black;"><a
target="_blank"
href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WcI1e4KiDv0"
rel="noopener" moz-do-not-send="true">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WcI1e4KiDv0</a>
</span> </div>
<div style="color: black; font: 10pt arial;">
<div style="font-family: arial,helvetica; font-size: 10pt;
color: black;">
<div id="yiv1280526314">
<div id="yiv1280526314ydpbbeef67cyahoo_quoted_2629286674"
class="yiv1280526314ydpbbeef67cyahoo_quoted">
<div style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica,
Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; color: #26282a;">
<div>
<div id="yiv1280526314ydpbbeef67cyiv7379939446">
<div dir="ltr">
<div dir="ltr">
<div style="font-size: 12pt; font-family:
'Calibri'; color: #000000;">
<div style="font-size: small;
text-decoration: none; font-family:
Calibri; font-weight: normal; color:
#000000; font-style: normal; display:
inline;">
<div
class="yiv1280526314ydpbbeef67cyiv7379939446WordSection1">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div
id="yiv1280526314ydpbbeef67cyiv7379939446m_-4334284508336818899zimbraEditorContainer">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div
id="yiv1280526314ydpbbeef67cyiv7379939446m_-4334284508336818899m_5890471881823570407m_-1936311157444135504m_-6794314409041593867m_-2645537294667248083yiv6468384905">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div
class="yiv1280526314ydpbbeef67cyiv7379939446MsoNormal">
<span
style="font-size:
10pt;
font-family:
Helvetica,
sans-serif;
color: black;"> </span>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="yiv1280526314ydpbbeef67cyiv7379939446MsoNormal">
Carrying the Shuttle: <span style="font-size: 24pt;
font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; color: black;">A quick
"trip report" from the pilot of the 747 that flew the
shuttle back to Florida after the Hubble repair flight. A
humorous and interesting inside look at what it's like to
fly two aircraft at once.</span> </div>
<div style="color: black; font: 10pt arial;">
<div style="font-family: arial,helvetica; font-size: 10pt;
color: black;">
<div id="yiv1280526314">
<div id="yiv1280526314ydpbbeef67cyahoo_quoted_2629286674"
class="yiv1280526314ydpbbeef67cyahoo_quoted">
<div style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica,
Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; color: #26282a;">
<div>
<div id="yiv1280526314ydpbbeef67cyiv7379939446">
<div dir="ltr">
<div dir="ltr">
<div style="font-size: 12pt; font-family:
'Calibri'; color: #000000;">
<div style="font-size: small;
text-decoration: none; font-family:
Calibri; font-weight: normal; color:
#000000; font-style: normal; display:
inline;">
<div
class="yiv1280526314ydpbbeef67cyiv7379939446WordSection1">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div
id="yiv1280526314ydpbbeef67cyiv7379939446m_-4334284508336818899zimbraEditorContainer">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div
id="yiv1280526314ydpbbeef67cyiv7379939446m_-4334284508336818899m_5890471881823570407m_-1936311157444135504m_-6794314409041593867m_-2645537294667248083yiv6468384905">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div
id="yiv1280526314ydpbbeef67cyiv7379939446m_-4334284508336818899m_5890471881823570407m_-1936311157444135504m_-6794314409041593867m_-2645537294667248083yiv6468384905m_6640964415869974491m_3707751562312845783yiv6406986586m_3257407217990716608yiv2817147621">
<div
id="yiv1280526314ydpbbeef67cyiv7379939446m_-4334284508336818899m_5890471881823570407m_-1936311157444135504m_-6794314409041593867m_-2645537294667248083yiv6468384905m_6640964415869974491m_3707751562312845783yiv6406986586m_3257407217990716608yiv2817147621">
<div
id="yiv1280526314ydpbbeef67cyiv7379939446m_-4334284508336818899m_5890471881823570407m_-1936311157444135504m_-6794314409041593867m_-2645537294667248083yiv6468384905m_6640964415869974491m_3707751562312845783yiv6406986586m_3257407217990716608yiv2817147621forwardbody1">
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div
class="yiv1280526314ydpbbeef67cyiv7379939446MsoNormal">
<span
style="font-size:
24pt;
font-family:
Helvetica,
sans-serif;
color: black;">(I
have decided
to adopt one
of "Triple
Nickel's"
phrases :
"That was too
close for MY
laundry!") </span>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div>
<div>
<div
class="yiv1280526314ydpbbeef67cyiv7379939446MsoNormal">
<span
style="font-size:
12pt;
font-family:
Helvetica,
sans-serif;
color: black;"> </span>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div>
<div>
<div
class="yiv1280526314ydpbbeef67cyiv7379939446MsoNormal">
<span
style="font-size:
24pt;
font-family:
Helvetica,
sans-serif;
color: black;">Well,
it's been 48
hours since I
landed the 747
with the
shuttle
Atlantis on
top and I am
still buzzing
from the
experience. I
have to say
that my whole
mind, body and
soul went into
the
professional
mode just
before engine
start in
Mississippi,
and stayed
there, where
it all needed
to be, until
well after the
flight..in
fact, I am not
sure if it is
all back to
normal as I
type this
email. The
experience was
surreal.
Seeing that
"thing" on top
of an already
overly huge
aircraft
boggles my
mind. The
whole mission
from takeoff
to engine
shutdown was
unlike
anything I had
ever done. It
was like a
dream...
someone else's
dream. </span>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div>
<div
class="yiv1280526314ydpbbeef67cyiv7379939446MsoNormal">
<span
style="font-size:
24pt;
font-family:
Helvetica,
sans-serif;
color: black;">We
took off from
Columbus AFB
on their
12,000 foot
runway, of
which I used
11,999 feet
to get the
wheels off the
ground. We
were at 3,500
feet left to
go of the
runway,
throttles full
power, nose
wheels still
hugging the
ground,
copilot
calling out
decision
speeds, the
weight of
Atlantis now
screaming
through my
fingers
clinched
tightly on the
controls,
tires heating
up to their
near maximum
temperature
from the speed
and the
weight, and
not yet at
rotation
speed, the
speed at which
I would be
pulling on the
controls to
get the nose
to rise. I
just could not
wait, and I
mean I COULD
NOT WAIT, and
started
pulling early.
If I had
waited until
rotation
speed, we
would not have
rotated enough
to get
airborne by
the end of the
runway. So I
pulled on the
controls early
and started
our rotation
to the takeoff
attitude. The
wheels finally
lifted off as
we passed over
the stripe
marking the
end of the
runway and my
next hurdle
(physically)
was a line of
trees 1,000
feet off the
departure end
of Runway 16.
All I knew was
we were flying
and so I
directed the
gear to be
retracted and
the flaps to
be moved from
Flaps 20 to
Flaps 10 as I
pulled even
harder on the
controls. I
must say,
those trees
were beginning
to look a lot
like those
brushes in the
drive through
car washes so
I pulled even
harder yet! I
think I saw a
bird just fold
it's wings and
fall out of a
tree as if to
say "Oh just
take me".
Okay, we
cleared the
trees, duh,
but it was way
too close for
my laundry.As
we started to
actually
climb, at only
100 feet per
minute, I
smelled
something that
reminded me of
touring the
Heineken
Brewery in
Europe ....I
said "is that
a skunk I
smell?" and
the veterans
of shuttle
carrying
looked at me
and smiled and
said "Tires"!
I said
"TIRES???OURS???"
They smiled
and shook
their heads as
if to call
their Captain
an amateur...
okay, at that
point I was.
The tires were
so hot you
could smell
them in the
cockpit. My
mind could not
get over, from
this point on,
that this was
something I
had never
experienced.Where's
your mom when
you REALLY
need her? </span>
</div>
</div>
<div>
<div
class="yiv1280526314ydpbbeef67cyiv7379939446MsoNormal">
<span
style="font-size:
24pt;
font-family:
Helvetica,
sans-serif;
color: black;">The
flight down to
Florida was an
eternity. We
cruised at 250
knots
indicated,
giving us
about 315
knots of
ground speed
at 15,000' The
miles didn't
click by like
I am use to
them clicking
by in a
fighter jet at
MACH .94. We
were burning
fuel at a rate
of 40,000
pounds per
hour or 130
pounds per
mile, or one
gallon every
length of the
fuselage. The
vibration in
the cockpit
was mild,
compared to
down below and
to the rear of
the fuselage
where it
reminded me of
that football
game I had as
a child where
you turned it
on and the
players
vibrated
around the
board. I felt
like if I had
plastic clips
on my boots I
could have
vibrated to
any spot in
the fuselage I
wanted to go
without moving
my legs...and
the noise was
deafening. The
747 flies with
its nose 5
degrees up in
the air to
stay level,
and when you
bank, it feels
like the
shuttle is
trying to say
"hey, let's
roll
completely
over on our
back"...not a
good thing I
kept telling
myself. SO I
limited my
bank angle to
15 degrees and
even though a
180 degree
course change
took a full
zip code to
complete, it
was the safe
way to turn
this monster.
</span> </div>
</div>
<div>
<div>
<div
class="yiv1280526314ydpbbeef67cyiv7379939446MsoNormal">
<span
style="font-size:
12pt;
font-family:
Helvetica,
sans-serif;
color: black;"> </span>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div>
<div>
<div
class="yiv1280526314ydpbbeef67cyiv7379939446MsoNormal">
<span
style="font-size:
24pt;
font-family:
Helvetica,
sans-serif;
color: black;">Airliners
and even a
flight of two
F-16s deviated
from their
flight plans
to catch a
glimpse of us
along the way.
We dodged what
was in reality
very few
clouds and
storms,
despite what
everyone
thought, and
arrived in
Florida with
51,000 pounds
of fuel too
much to land
with. We can't
land heavier
than 600,000
pounds total
weight and so
we had to do
something with
that fuel. I
had an
idea...let's
fly low and
slow and show
this beast off
to all the
taxpayers in
Florida lucky
enough to be
outside on
that Tuesday
afternoon. So
at Ormond
Beach we let
down to 1,000
feet above the
ground/water
and flew just
east of the
beach out over
the water.
Then, once we
reached the
NASA airspace
of the Kennedy
Space Center,
we cut over to
the
Banana/Indian
Rivers and
flew down the
middle of them
to show the
people of
Titusville,
Port St.Johns
and Melbourne
just what a
747 with a
shuttle on it
looked like.
We stayed at
1,000 feet and
since we were
dragging our
flaps at
"Flaps 5", our
speed was down
to around 190
to 210 knots.
We could see
traffic
stopping in
the middle of
roads to take
a look. We
heard later
that a Little
League
Baseball game
stop to look
and everyone
cheered as we
became their
7th inning
stretch. Oh
say can you
see... </span>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div>
<div>
<div
class="yiv1280526314ydpbbeef67cyiv7379939446MsoNormal">
<span
style="font-size:
12pt;
font-family:
Helvetica,
sans-serif;
color: black;"> </span>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div>
<div>
<div
class="yiv1280526314ydpbbeef67cyiv7379939446MsoNormal">
<span
style="font-size:
24pt;
font-family:
Helvetica,
sans-serif;
color: black;">After
reaching Vero
Beach , we
turned north
to follow the
coast line
back up to the
Shuttle
Landing
Facility
(SLF). There
was not one
person laying
on the
beach...they
were all
standing and
waving!" What
a sight" I
thought...and
figured they
were thinking
the same
thing.All this
time I was
bugging the
engineers, all
three of them,
to re-compute
our fuel and
tell me when
it was time to
land.They kept
saying "Not
yet Triple,
keep showing
this thing
off" which was
not a bad
thing to be
doing.
However, all
this time the
thought that
the landing,
the muscling
of this
600,000 pound
beast, was
getting closer
and closer to
my reality. I
was pumped up!
We got back to
the SLF and
were still
10,000 pounds
too heavy to
land so I said
I was going to
do a low
approach over
the SLF going
the opposite
direction of
landing
traffic that
day.So at 300
feet, we flew
down the
runway,
rocking our
wings like a
whale rolling
on its side to
say "hello" to
the people
looking on!
One turn out
of traffic and
back to the
runway to
land...still
3,000 pounds
over gross
weight limit.
But the
engineers
agreed that if
the landing
were smooth,
there would be
no problem."Oh
thanks guys, a
little extra
pressure is
just what I
needed!" So we
landed at
603,000 pounds
and very
smoothly if I
have to say so
myself. The
landing was so
totally
controlled and
on speed, that
it was fun.
There were a
few surprises
that I dealt
with, like the
747 falls like
a rock with
the orbiter on
it if you pull
the throttles
off at the
"normal" point
in a landing
and secondly,
if you thought
you could hold
the nose off
the ground
after the
mains touch
down, think
again...IT IS
COMING DOWN!!!
So I "flew it
down" to the
ground and
saved what I
have seen in
videos of a
nose slap
after landing.
Bob's video
supports this!
</span> </div>
</div>
</div>
<div>
<div>
<div
class="yiv1280526314ydpbbeef67cyiv7379939446MsoNormal">
<span
style="font-size:
12pt;
font-family:
Helvetica,
sans-serif;
color: black;"> </span>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div>
<div>
<div
class="yiv1280526314ydpbbeef67cyiv7379939446MsoNormal">
<span
style="font-size:
24pt;
font-family:
Helvetica,
sans-serif;
color: black;">Then
I turned on my
phone after
coming to a
full stop only
to find 50
bazillion
emails and
phone messages
from all of
you who were
so super to be
watching and
cheering us
on! What a
treat, I can't
thank y'all
enough.For
those who
watched, you
wondered why
we sat there
so long. Well,
the shuttle
had very
hazardous
chemicals on
board and we
had to be
"sniffed" to
determine if
any had leaked
or were
leaking. They
checked for
Monomethylhydrazine
(N2H4 for
Charlie
Hudson) and
nitrogen
tetroxide
(N2O4). Even
though we were
"clean", it
took way too
long for them
to tow us in
to the
mate-demate
area. Sorry
for those who
stuck it out
and even
waited until
we exited the
jet. </span>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div>
<div>
<div
class="yiv1280526314ydpbbeef67cyiv7379939446MsoNormal">
<span
style="font-size:
12pt;
font-family:
Helvetica,
sans-serif;
color: black;"> </span>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div>
<div>
<div
class="yiv1280526314ydpbbeef67cyiv7379939446MsoNormal">
<span
style="font-size:
24pt;
font-family:
Helvetica,
sans-serif;
color: black;">I
am sure I will
wake up in the
middle of the
night here
soon,
screaming and
standing
straight up
dripping wet
with sweat
from the
realization of
what had
happened. It
was a thrill
of a lifetime.
Again I want
to thank
everyone for
your interest
and support.
It felt good
to bring
Atlantis home
in one piece
after she had
worked so hard
getting to the
Hubble Space
Telescope and
back. </span>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div>
<div
class="yiv1280526314ydpbbeef67cyiv7379939446MsoNormal">
<span
style="font-family:
Helvetica,
sans-serif;
color: black;"> </span>
</div>
</div>
<div>
<div>
<div
class="yiv1280526314ydpbbeef67cyiv7379939446MsoNormal">
<span
style="font-size:
24pt;
font-family:
Helvetica,
sans-serif;
color: black;">And
a video, in
case you
haven't seen
the Shuttle
Carrier
Aircraft:</span>
<span
style="font-size:
12pt;
font-family:
Arial,
sans-serif;
color: black;">
<br>
</span> </div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<br>
<fieldset class="mimeAttachmentHeader"></fieldset>
<pre class="moz-quote-pre" wrap="">_______________________________________________
AT mailing list
<a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="mailto:AT@lists.antique-tractor.com">AT@lists.antique-tractor.com</a>
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://lists.antique-tractor.com/listinfo.cgi/at-antique-tractor.com">http://lists.antique-tractor.com/listinfo.cgi/at-antique-tractor.com</a>
</pre>
</blockquote>
</body>
</html>