Ride along with SOFIA - NASA’s 747SP IR telescope

Yeah that was pretty cool. Not familiar with the 747 so might have missed it, but interesting that they didn't seem to be using reverse thrust on rollout.
 
Years ago I'd spend time with my dad, perhaps over dinner during the summer, and he'd ask how work was going. Quite often I'd complain the hangars are like ovens, there's never enough time to get everything done. He'd say that I should try to get a job working on SOFIA, the hangar has A/C, no one seems to be in a hurry. I knew as much about a 747 as I did about an Apollo rocket, so I'd just kind of laugh it off as a pipe dream. My dad designed and sold the security system for the hangar to NASA, in hindsight perhaps I should've pursued that possibility with a little more vigor.
 
Awesome, hell yeah thanks for that.

Just a side note, yes, it has the old "Pan Am" looking stripe (which is actually just the standard NASA livery) about the same size and colors as it did as a Pan Am 747SP, and the name. BUT, in very early 1986 United bought most of Pan Am's Pacific network including most of it's 747SPs and L-1011-500s and was the birth of United's SFO Pacific hub. This 747SP was part of that purchase and flew on with United until late October 1994, being the only 747SP to ever get the grey 1993-introduced livery and the last UA 747SP retired after a ceremonious IAD-SFO trip. The aircraft was stored in LAS (alongside the only TWA L-1011 to ever get the new livery interestingly) for some time in the storage area that is now the Las Vegas Sands ramp, then NASA bought it in 1997 and flew it around a while in a UA hybrid livery before they repainted it. So while at a glace many people incorrectly assume (and remark) that it is still wearing the original Pan Am stripe, it has been repainted several times since then, and all the airline interior parts that are original (some seats, stuff in the gallies, etc), that is all United stuff from the 90s and not Pan Am stuff from the 80s. Though I've noticed from interviews much of the SOFIA team seems to truly think this is all Pan Am original stuff. I guess the boner people have for Pan Am is just so strong that why bother with facts? :p
 
ChasenSFO said:
I guess the boner people have for Pan Am is just so strong that why bother with facts? :p
Click to expand...

This is interesting, do you think people are mixing it up with the legacy of the Fry’s 747SP “Clipper America”?

adda5a6e50b49eb570b0fc95329992a9.jpg


I like the “Air-Clips” style and how he documented this flight for the historical record since Sofia is about to be retired this year, and he did the same with the An-225 a couple years ago before it was unexpectedly blown up. I’d love it if we could get him up to Mojave and in Stargazer, the last flying L-1011 before it’s inevitably retired as well.
 
The SP is just a funny looking bird. Kind of like the much smaller A319. Both planes look like a flying fart. I imagine they are both hot rods though. Interesting to the SP only, I had not realized how far aft (as a function of CG) the 1 and 4 engines sit. I mean just look at the pic of the fry's jet......thats way back there
 
///AMG said:
The SP is just a funny looking bird. Kind of like the much smaller A319. Both planes look like a flying fart. I imagine they are both hot rods though. Interesting to the SP only, I had not realized how far aft (as a function of CG) the 1 and 4 engines sit. I mean just look at the pic of the fry's jet......thats way back there
Click to expand...

the A318 is funnier looking as a shorty haha.

my airfield here often has the Pratt and Whitney testbed 747SP here, as well as one that is a flying casino
 
MikeD said:
the A318 is funnier looking as a shorty haha.

my airfield here often has the Pratt and Whitney testbed 747SP here, as well as one that is a flying casino
Click to expand...

hah see I thought the 318 was a thing, but my 3XX flying friends told me I was smoking crack. Boom.....proof.....that is for sure the turd burgler that was my ride from Key West to Atlanta last time.....no question
 
inigo88 said:
This is interesting, do you think people are mixing it up with the legacy of the Fry’s 747SP “Clipper America”?

adda5a6e50b49eb570b0fc95329992a9.jpg


I like the “Air-Clips” style and how he documented this flight for the historical record since Sofia is about to be retired this year, and he did the same with the An-225 a couple years ago before it was unexpectedly blown up. I’d love it if we could get him up to Mojave and in Stargazer, the last flying L-1011 before it’s inevitably retired as well.
Click to expand...
@ChasenSFO remember when we flew into MCC and found this thing sitting in the hangar along with Fry’s 727?

do you have any idea where those 2 planes are at now?
 
Sculprit said:
@ChasenSFO remember when we flew into MCC and found this thing sitting in the hangar along with Fry’s 727?

do you have any idea where those 2 planes are at now?
Click to expand...

Last I checked the 747SP was at the Mojave boneyard (and hopefully not scrapped… yet!). I’m not sure about the 727.

www.jetphotos.com

N747A | Boeing 747SP-27 | Private | Rocky Wang | JetPhotos

N747A. Boeing 747SP-27. JetPhotos.com is the biggest database of aviation photographs with over 6 million screened photos online!
www.jetphotos.com www.jetphotos.com


///AMG said:
hah see I thought the 318 was a thing, but my 3XX flying friends told me I was smoking crack. Boom.....proof.....that is for sure the turd burgler that was my ride from Key West to Atlanta last time.....no question
Click to expand...

Quite literally the Short Bus.

1657555546616.jpeg
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top