NASA Fly By Cancel The title field is required!

1. Gary Carls

   

   19 posts
   
   9/21/2012 2:09 PM

   Sometimes it's not too bad to be adjacent to a federal air field. Got a couple of photos of this strange bird over our 11th fairway at about 10:30 AM this morning.

   
   Gary K. Carls, CGCS, President - Oakland Turfgrass Education Initiative
   
   
2. Wallace Jeffrey V

   
   9/21/2012 4:09 PM

   Gary,
   
   I have a friend that lives about 10 minutes from the Golden Gate bridge. He's confined to a wheelchair, but I begged his wife to pack him into the van and drive down. He texted back and sounded damn happy to have made the trip. Once in a lifetime experience.
   
   I'm waiting on their photos, but yours is really clear. You're one of the lucky ones around the country that saw that low level fly-by. What a sight that must have been.

   
   
   
   
3. Richard Lavine

   

   3 posts
   
   9/21/2012 6:09 PM

   Gary, you got a great shot of it. We saw it as well in Richmond, but it appeared to be over the Oakland hills before it turned westbound and probably went over my home in Marin. As your picture shows, it was quite hazy, so unless you were very close (as you obviously were, Gary), pictures will not show it very well. But it WAS a pretty good sight. BTW, I'm flying into LAX on Sunday, so I might get another view of it on the tarmac.

   
   
   
   
4. Gary Carls

   

   19 posts
   
   9/22/2012 2:09 PM

   Rich and Jeff,
   
   It was quite an experience to see. Moffett Field, right next to our course used to be home to the U-2's years ago along with lots of experimental flying objects. No longer an active base it is still often home to regular visits by Air Force One and the Blue Angels when they are in the area. NASA has a couple of regular daily flights the folks from Google worked a deal to fly their corporate jets in and out of there.
   
   Having been a past site of many air shows in the past we knew we would see a few "tourists" thinking the golf course would be the place to be for easy access and good viewing. We didn't expect what we actually got. At the peak we probably we're trying to control 200+ folks and keep them away from active play areas. Most of the players also lingered on the best viewing holes as the anticipated fly over time was approaching probably adding about 30 minutes to the normal round.
   
   Rich, I hear it is in or near the United facility at LAX. Have a safe trip.
   
   Still well worth seeing and glad I didn't miss it.

   
   Gary K. Carls, CGCS, President - Oakland Turfgrass Education Initiative
   
   
5. Kenneth Ingram

   

   18 posts
   
   9/24/2012 1:09 PM

   Thanks Gary. Nobody talks about it much but working on a golf course gives us some really great opportunities to watch planes and such. I've seen some really cool things here around Washington. We've seen the shuttle a couple of times through the years. Air Force One pretty regularly. I remember when they flew Reagan's body back from CA in Air Force One. We were on the course and the arrival time had been announced. Radio's went crazy when the first guy saw the plane. I worked near Dulles for a couple of years and saw that new AirBus 380 or whatever for the first time. Bob Wilbur and his staff at Army Navy Arlington saw the United plane that hit the Pentagon on 9-11 at treetop level. Frequently on Fridays we see Marine One (2 or 3 helicopters usually) heading to Camp David. They usually go right up the Potomac past Congressional and TPC Potomac. Funny how you never get tired of seeing those things. The few times I have played at Andrews AFB I spent more time looking up than down. Kenneth Ingram, UMD.

   
   
   
   
6. Gary Carls

   

   19 posts
   
   10/3/2012 12:10 PM

   Ken,
   
   It's Fleet Week in San Francisco and knew the Blue Angels were coming to town for shows this weekend over the waterfront in the city. I think they are staying up that way somewhere but did just get a surprise high speed flyover and landing by Blue Angel #3. If you ever get a chance to see these guys along the waterfront in San Francisco you should do it. This year they scheduled them for 3:00PM because you never know how long it will take the fog to burn off so they can see the Golden Gate and Bay Bridges that they perform between.

   
   Gary K. Carls, CGCS, President - Oakland Turfgrass Education Initiative
   
   
7. Nicholas Daak

   

   3 posts
   
   10/28/2012 9:10 PM

   This fall some members invited me on a golf/casino weekend. I had never played any of the courses so on the ride they were telling me all about them. They kept complaining about 2 holes on a course and not to slice it on the runway. I told them "I never slice." But asked about this runway. Being a farm kid growing up you got used to combines mowing behind 1# green or cropdusters buzzing #8 tee. Well that was a little different than watching a 4 seated plane land 30yds from you on a little strip between holes. They even have a sticker on the cart that says please stay off runway when planes are approaching.