Rolling into the Sunset?.

[Ironflight]

Sorry, I really wish I had a camera with me?.but since I didn?t let me try and paint the picture?..

After a picture-perfect Shuttle landing , the Control Center emptied out pretty quickly, and the Space Center became a ghost town ? fourteen days is a long time to stay on top of your game, and a break is well deserved! I decided that with the change in clocks, and the early darkness, it was time to go out and make sure I was night current, so I headed to the airport for a little airplane time. I took off about 30 minutes before sunset, with the big red orb already sinking low on top of a thin layer of clouds only about 200 feet thick at the most, varying from broken to scattered as you moved around the area. Climbing out towards the coast, I zipped out from under the Class B and hauled back for some aerobatic altitude. I shot through a clear space, and looked back down ? the layer was mostly translucent, with the ground well visible below. Of course, as I popped through from below, the sun rose in it?s fiery red brilliance ? the land below was already in shadow, and lights were beginning to show.

With the sun nice and low, the atmosphere?s limb acted as a filter, and it was easy to point the airplane right at the blood-red ball and use it as a target point for rolls?.left, then right, then left, then right?.then up into a half loop with the sun at my tail when I was at the top. A little dive for some airspeed, and into a wingover?..and then at the ninety degree point, just carry the roll around, and end up with the sun on the wing. A shallow dive and another loop, this time with the wingtip pointed at the star, now just beginning to spread out and flatten near the horizon.

And at this point, the sky became magic! The thin clouds were still translucent and broken, leaving plenty of visibility for the descent, but looking across the top of the layer, towards the sun, it appeared as a vast desert of sand dunes ? or perhaps, a sea of low, rolling waves, with tiny points of light shining through from below ? translucent organisms deep down, 4,000? beneath the tops?..the layer of white became red, I crossed over a nice break in the mist, checked for traffic, and pulled up and over into one last loop, loosening my pull on the down line and crossing through the layer ? hardly to be called clouds anymore, just a 50 foot thick region of reflecting mist ? recovering from the dive back in the world of man. On top, a fairy land?..below, smooth air, and a half dozen landings to put in the logbook. All that was lacking was the camera?..

Oh yeah,?.you gotta get one of these!

Paul

[tomwebster]

Paul,
A camera wasn't needed!

Thanks,
Tom

[Mr. Mikey]

Yeah, I think we've all got a version of that flight in our memories.

Thanks.

[Louise Hose]

Paul,
All this beauty in Houston?!? And, you just happened to forget the camera? I fear that you write this sort of thing up as a blatant attempt to convince me that Houston is a wonderful place to live!

I'll judge Houston's sunset beauty for myself when we return this Saturday evening in the Valkyrie.

[Tram]

Wow.. Shuttle time and RV time in your log book, doesn't get much better than that!

[Ironflight]

Originally Posted by Louise Hose

Paul,
All this beauty in Houston?!? And, you just happened to forget the camera? I fear that you write this sort of thing up as a blatant attempt to convince me that Houston is a wonderful place to live!

Well now, I didn't say that it happens EVERY DAY.....!

The Chamber of Commerce might, but all I'll commit to is "sometimes, it can be really nice"...(for two weeks in the spring, and two weeks in the fall.....)

[jdmunzell]

Paul,

I assume you've introduced Louise to "Frenchies" down there on Nasa Rd 1. Their carbonara is enough to make one want to live there!! ...or even some great C/W dancin' on sawdust covered floors over in Alvin...(mind you, this is 1979-84 that I'm thinking of..)! ....Ahhh..good times, and I hated to leave there.