Sunday, November 4, 2012

Cape Canaveral Air Force Base

I recently was treated to a behind the scenes personal tour of the Cape Canaveral Air Force Base by a close relative who just happens to be in charge of security for CCAFB and Patrick AFB.  The occasion of my visit was to watch the night launch of an Atlas rocket.


And I don't mean watch from the peanut gallery outside the southern gate from where most folks watch.  We were CLOSE... inside the blast damage area.  This picture was taken at the border of the blast damage area, within which no one is allowed during launch.  The blue light is the road block.


Unfortunately, there was a technical glitch and the launch was scrubbed for the night.  So, we stayed an extra day to catch the launch the following night.  That turned out to be a blessing as we had the day to drive around the base and take in some historical sites.

When I was a kid growing up in central Florida, I watched the Mercury and Apollo launches from our house.  Visiting the launch complexes from where these emanated was a special experience for me.  The history represented by these places sends tingles up and down your spine.

Here's Complex 14 from where the manned Mercury flights launched.  The pad is in the left foreground.  The rail is what the tower rode on to back away from the rocket prior to launch.


Here, on a plaque mounted on the launch facility building, are the seven astronauts of "The Right Stuff" fame:


I got goose bumps walking on the same ground as these pioneers walked.


I had an uncle that worked in the launch control building, seen here.  Those periscopes were a necessity... those launch control buildings were close to the pad!



This is Complex-34, the Apollo launch site with a Delta-4 ready to launch in the background.


The Apollo-1 memorial attached to the side of the launch platform.  A terrible tragedy and worrisome start to a world-changing program.


On a lighter note, here's a coveted shot of the Cape Canaveral Lighthouse.  Coveted in the respect that not many folks can get this shot.  It's not on the normal public tours.


We even caught a ride on a Navy Patrol around the sub harbor and out into the ocean.  You read right... there's a Navy sub base on the Air Force Base.  Go figure!  Actually, it makes perfect sense.  The boomers do their ballistic launch tests from this port.  What better place to test your rockets than Cape Canaveral?


Well, we headed back the second night (at 2:00AM), and got all set up to watch the launch.  This was the view from our vantage point across the water.


Unfortunately, this was the view across the water in the other direction...


Therefore, no launch.  We couldn't stick around for a third try, but it had been a wonderful two nights and one day.  I felt privileged to see the history that so many don't get a chance to see.  I've heard rumors since the demise of the shuttle program of opening up some of these historical sites to the public.  I hope they do.  Everyone should have the opportunity to share in this history.

See more in these galleries:
Rocket
Cape Canaveral
Patrick AFB Police Dogs

See much more at www.wlpearce.com



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