Mission to Cape Canaveral '99
In-Flight Photos

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These are pictures which were taken from the flights going and returning from the trip.

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(1536x1024 528K) (500x337 19K) Just after takeoff from San Jose, the usual Bay Area low stratus covers the floor of Silicon Valley out to the Santa Cruz Mountains.

(1536x1024 415K) (500x337 11K) From 7-8 miles in altitude where the Boeing 757 cruises, you can see a flat horizon in all directions, but not quite the curvature of the Earth. In this north-facing view from the San Jose to Salt Lake leg of the flight, sharp-eyed readers can see Pyramid Lake, Nevada. And further behind it, the lighter-brown coloration is the Black Rock Desert playa, where I've been camping several times for high-power and amateur rocket launch events.

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(1536x1024 527K) (500x334 20K) The round dry lake visible from the plane is Groom Lake, Nevada, site of the Air Force base where the U-2, SR-71 and F117A were tested. Many rumors abound about potential new aircraft that may be under testing there today. Usually civilians are not allowed to see this base but airliners fly high enough (7-8 miles) to see it from unrestricted airspace, though not with good resolution. You'll need the large image to resolve the 4-mile-long runway on the lakebed and the parallel runway to the left just beyond the lakebed. The base itself is barely visible as a splotch just to the right of the lakebed. You can find Groom Lake on nearly any map of Nevada in the Dept of Energy's Nevada (Nuclear) Test Site north of Las Vegas. But the runways and air base are never shown on any map. :-)

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(1536x1024 506K) (500x334 17K) A down-the-runway view of the Groom Lake AFB. Again, you'll need the large version of the image to resolve the runways at the distance and altitude this picture was taken from.

Back up to the Mission to Cape Canaveral '99 main page

(1536x1024 528K) (500x337 19K)	Just after takeoff from San Jose, the usual Bay Area low stratus covers the floor of Silicon Valley out to the Santa Cruz Mountains.
(1536x1024 415K) (500x337 11K)	From 7-8 miles in altitude where the Boeing 757 cruises, you can see a flat horizon in all directions, but not quite the curvature of the Earth. In this north-facing view from the San Jose to Salt Lake leg of the flight, sharp-eyed readers can see Pyramid Lake, Nevada. And further behind it, the lighter-brown coloration is the Black Rock Desert playa, where I've been camping several times for high-power and amateur rocket launch events.
(1536x1024 527K) (500x334 20K)	The round dry lake visible from the plane is Groom Lake, Nevada, site of the Air Force base where the U-2, SR-71 and F117A were tested. Many rumors abound about potential new aircraft that may be under testing there today. Usually civilians are not allowed to see this base but airliners fly high enough (7-8 miles) to see it from unrestricted airspace, though not with good resolution. You'll need the large image to resolve the 4-mile-long runway on the lakebed and the parallel runway to the left just beyond the lakebed. The base itself is barely visible as a splotch just to the right of the lakebed. You can find Groom Lake on nearly any map of Nevada in the Dept of Energy's Nevada (Nuclear) Test Site north of Las Vegas. But the runways and air base are never shown on any map. :-)
(1536x1024 506K) (500x334 17K)	A down-the-runway view of the Groom Lake AFB. Again, you'll need the large version of the image to resolve the runways at the distance and altitude this picture was taken from.

Mission to Cape Canaveral '99 In-Flight Photos

Mission to Cape Canaveral '99
In-Flight Photos