OT: 22 Years Ago Today...Challenger
Forum rules
Welcome to the Leverguns.Com General Discussions Forum. This is a high-class place so act respectable. We discuss most anything here other than politics... politely.
Please post political post in the new Politics forum.
Welcome to the Leverguns.Com General Discussions Forum. This is a high-class place so act respectable. We discuss most anything here other than politics... politely.
Please post political post in the new Politics forum.
-
- Levergunner 3.0
- Posts: 516
- Joined: Fri Sep 07, 2007 4:59 am
- Location: Fly Over Country
OT: 22 Years Ago Today...Challenger
The Crew of the Space Shuttle Challenger perished shortly after lift-off.
It doesn't seem that long ago...and I can still remember that I was changing the pilots side windscreen on a Piper Cheyenne, when the news came.
What were you guys doing???
It doesn't seem that long ago...and I can still remember that I was changing the pilots side windscreen on a Piper Cheyenne, when the news came.
What were you guys doing???
I was standing outside doing a pretrip on a truck I was about to go out on when I happened to look up and see the screwy lookin contrail. I went inside to tell our manager to come look at it, that was when he told me what it was from.
Rusty <><
Rusty <><
If you're gonna be stupid ya gotta be tough-
Isiah 55:8&9
It's easier to fool people than it is to convince them they have been fooled.
Isiah 55:8&9
It's easier to fool people than it is to convince them they have been fooled.
I was at the MACS-7 Squadron HQ at MCAS Yuma picking up mail for the Marines working in our Electronics Mantenance Unit at the P-111 remote tactical radar/HAWK missile site.
There was a small TV on in the S-1 office, and about 20 Marines had gathered to watch after the explosion, during the first replays. We were standing and watching the event unfold in total silence.
The Squadron Legal Officer wandered by and made a flippant remark about "No big deal, we've got 3 more of them."
The Squdaron XO turned to look directly at her and said "Shut Up, Lieutenant."
... and we just kept watching...
There was a small TV on in the S-1 office, and about 20 Marines had gathered to watch after the explosion, during the first replays. We were standing and watching the event unfold in total silence.
The Squadron Legal Officer wandered by and made a flippant remark about "No big deal, we've got 3 more of them."
The Squdaron XO turned to look directly at her and said "Shut Up, Lieutenant."
... and we just kept watching...
Last edited by FWiedner on Mon Jan 28, 2008 10:30 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Government office attracts the power-mad, yet it's people who just want to be left alone to live life on their own terms who are considered dangerous.
History teaches that it's a small window in which people can fight back before it is too dangerous to fight back.
History teaches that it's a small window in which people can fight back before it is too dangerous to fight back.
-
- Levergunner 2.0
- Posts: 383
- Joined: Fri Dec 21, 2007 9:02 pm
- Location: ruin va
- Old Savage
- Posting leader...
- Posts: 16739
- Joined: Mon Sep 03, 2007 3:43 pm
- Location: Southern California
-
- Levergunner 2.0
- Posts: 173
- Joined: Thu Sep 13, 2007 4:01 pm
- Location: New England
- Ysabel Kid
- Moderator
- Posts: 27903
- Joined: Mon Sep 17, 2007 7:10 pm
- Location: South Carolina, USA
- Contact:
-
- Senior Levergunner
- Posts: 1005
- Joined: Fri Mar 30, 2007 9:17 am
- Location: Willamette Valley, OR, USA
I too was in college. I had the take the GF (I wonder whatever happened to her?) to the eye doctor. Watched it on the waiting room tv. A very bad day indeed.
Quinn
Quinn
We are determined that before the sun sets on this terrible struggle, our flag will be recognized throughout the world as a symbol of freedom on the one hand, of overwhelming power on the other.
General George C. Marshall, 1942
General George C. Marshall, 1942
I had one of those foot-in-mouth moments that day.
I was working as a bartender in a local bar at the time, and walked in the door to a room full of people sitting in stoney silence. I walked in, looked around the room and spouted: "Sure is quiet in here...who the hell died." One of the old men at the bar just pointed to the TV...
Ed
I was working as a bartender in a local bar at the time, and walked in the door to a room full of people sitting in stoney silence. I walked in, looked around the room and spouted: "Sure is quiet in here...who the hell died." One of the old men at the bar just pointed to the TV...
Ed
I was at the deli/sandwich bar in Misawa AFB Japan. Just standing in line waiting to place my order. They had a television hanging off the ceiling but nobody was paying much attention since a shuttle launch was pretty much a routine thing at that time. I think I let out a four letter word when it went off and immediately got the attention of everyone in the place. Those AF types were pretty much straight and narrow from my experience and didn't know how to respond to an old salt. I heard a few comments about the slovenly nature of sailors and the Navy in general until they realized what had my attention. Everyone went very quiet for a long time before the conversation erupted again. No one could really believe what had happened.
It was another one of those events that you know will change things, you just didn't know how or how much. Sort of like the Kennedy assassination and 9/11. You tend to remember where you were when and how you heard the news.
It was another one of those events that you know will change things, you just didn't know how or how much. Sort of like the Kennedy assassination and 9/11. You tend to remember where you were when and how you heard the news.
Well done is better than well said.
- AJMD429
- Posting leader...
- Posts: 32212
- Joined: Sun Sep 09, 2007 10:03 am
- Location: Hoosierland
- Contact:
I was getting ready to chew the other residents for standing around watching TV during rounds.
One memorable thing about it was how at the point one smoke trailgoing up instantaneously became three smoke trails going at other angles (none continuing even remotely on the same path), it was painfully obvious that a catastrophic and unsurvivable incident had happened, but the BUBBLE-HEADED news chick said something like "Oooh... how beautiful...!" and the SNAIL-BRAINED news guy said something like "Yes, there's tremendous power in those engines..." Now I know not everyone takes physics in school, but I just couldn't believe how the dumb news people kept blabbering on, and seemed genuinely confused that something that "beautiful" could have somehow been a bad thing.
Another observation we had (we were rounding on alot of terminally ill and brain-dead patients in an intensive care unit that day), was that although it was obviously a deep loss for the families, and a tragedy the nation would mourn, what better way to go than on one of the most incredible adventures imaginable, and have it happen so instantaneously, as opposed to the slow deterioration faced by so many people who have as the backdrop for their battle with cancer or stroke just an ordinary life of work at the office, pay bills, save for vacation.
What a dull world we'd all live in, and how few discoveries would have been made, however, were it not for those who dare to risk their lives exploring or adventuring or inventing.
One memorable thing about it was how at the point one smoke trailgoing up instantaneously became three smoke trails going at other angles (none continuing even remotely on the same path), it was painfully obvious that a catastrophic and unsurvivable incident had happened, but the BUBBLE-HEADED news chick said something like "Oooh... how beautiful...!" and the SNAIL-BRAINED news guy said something like "Yes, there's tremendous power in those engines..." Now I know not everyone takes physics in school, but I just couldn't believe how the dumb news people kept blabbering on, and seemed genuinely confused that something that "beautiful" could have somehow been a bad thing.
Another observation we had (we were rounding on alot of terminally ill and brain-dead patients in an intensive care unit that day), was that although it was obviously a deep loss for the families, and a tragedy the nation would mourn, what better way to go than on one of the most incredible adventures imaginable, and have it happen so instantaneously, as opposed to the slow deterioration faced by so many people who have as the backdrop for their battle with cancer or stroke just an ordinary life of work at the office, pay bills, save for vacation.
What a dull world we'd all live in, and how few discoveries would have been made, however, were it not for those who dare to risk their lives exploring or adventuring or inventing.
Doctors for Sensible Gun Laws
"first do no harm" - gun control LAWS lead to far more deaths than 'easy access' ever could.
Want REAL change? . . . . . "Boortz/Nugent in 2012 . . . ! "
"first do no harm" - gun control LAWS lead to far more deaths than 'easy access' ever could.
Want REAL change? . . . . . "Boortz/Nugent in 2012 . . . ! "
-
- Levergunner 2.0
- Posts: 373
- Joined: Sat Apr 07, 2007 9:39 am
- Location: Daytona Beach is Home
I was assigned to the 308th Missile maintaince squadron Little Rock AFB, Ar.
I had worked late the night before, I set my alarm to get me up just before launch. I got up with just enough time to pour a cup and turn on the tube.
With a great deal of pride as an American I had watched all of the previous launches and was not going to miss this one. I can remember thinking something has gone terribly wrong as I watched the exhaust from the SRB's begin to cork screw. I watched the replay time and again with the same sense of disbelief and sadness.
I later went on to work at the Kennedy Space Center for 15 years, supporting the Space Shuttle program. I rebuilt and tested the Hydraulic latching valves that Isolate the hydraulic systems aboard the Space Shuttle during flight. As I preformed my daily duties I always had Challenger in the back my mind. Good was never good enough.
I had worked late the night before, I set my alarm to get me up just before launch. I got up with just enough time to pour a cup and turn on the tube.
With a great deal of pride as an American I had watched all of the previous launches and was not going to miss this one. I can remember thinking something has gone terribly wrong as I watched the exhaust from the SRB's begin to cork screw. I watched the replay time and again with the same sense of disbelief and sadness.
I later went on to work at the Kennedy Space Center for 15 years, supporting the Space Shuttle program. I rebuilt and tested the Hydraulic latching valves that Isolate the hydraulic systems aboard the Space Shuttle during flight. As I preformed my daily duties I always had Challenger in the back my mind. Good was never good enough.
Really Baby, I swear that it just followed me home.
I was in High School.. stayed home that day for some reason, maybe a snow storm. Had spent the day and the night before assembling an R/C car kit and had gone outside to take some photos of it in the snow. When I came back in, I sat down and watched the launch. Every once in a while I'll come across those pictures and think about what happened only moments later.
Slow is just slow.