Behold Arguably The Most Spectacular Photo Of NASA's Shuttle Carrier Aircraft Ever

more at
http://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone...-aircraft-ever

When I was last down at Edwards AFB, I also spent some time at what is now known
as Armstrong Flight Research Center. Before the name change in 2014, it had been
famously titled the Dryden Flight Research Center. During my time with the
awesome public affairs team there, a photo on the wall grabbed my attention. It
was an incredible image of one of NASA's two Shuttle Carrier Aircraft (SCA) with
the Orbiter Endeavor mated to its back as it flew over a gorgeous desert
landscape. But what made the shot so amazing was how the perspective was from
directly above, looking down.

I was told that the photo, taken in December of 2008 as Endeavor made its voyage
back to Kennedy Space Center in Florida, was one of the most beloved in at the
installation and that it was shot by one of NASA's most acclaimed photographers,
Carla Thomas. If I remember correctly, the photo was planned ahead of time and
executed perfectly from the back seat of Armstrong's F/A-18B. The aircraft had
rolled inverted—or near inverted—to capture the unique angle of the loaded-up
SCA.

Remembering this amazing shot, I posted the photo on Twitter last night and it
received such an amazing outpouring of love that I had to do a story on it and
especially on the SCA and its own awesome but relatively humble history.

more at
http://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone...-aircraft-ever



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