FLASHBACK: Space Shuttle Endeavour Final Flight Over Los Angeles Sept 21, 2012

  **Cross your eyes to unlock the 3-D magic!**

Photos by Diabolik

FLASHBACK: Space Shuttle Endeavour
Final Flight Over Los Angeles
Sept 21, 2012

Thirteen years ago today... Los Angeles was visited by a different type of celebrity.

The Space Shuttle Endeavour was being retired and flown into the city for its eventual new home at the California Science Center.

 

 The shuttle got a piggy back ride into town on on the back of a modified Boeing 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, escorted by two fighter jets. First it headed north, past downtown, then circled low in the skies over Los Angeles for about 30 minutes before landing at LAX. I was on the roof of a Hollywood parking structure. 

After I got this shot of the shuttle over the Hollywood sign, I ran down to my car and headed for LAX asafp, hoping to catch a cool shot of the landing.

I drove like a madman, and was amazed to see the streets lined with people, all looking up in amazement. I had to keep checking to see where the plane was in the sky, hoping I could detect when it was headed into it's final approach at LAX.

I had hoped to get to a closer bridge overlooking Sepulveda, but knew my time had run out, so I had to make a snap decision to find the nearest, highest point, to catch the landing. I knew there was a better than 50% chance they would approach from the east and, if so, fly super low over Sepulveda Boulevard in the final seconds before touchdown. The bridge had become an impromptu parking lot. Everyone had abandoned their cars and was watching the landing. 

I'm aware that the 3-D is a bit off in these shots, because the movement of the planes between frames throws off the effect. Also, it looks as if the plane is driving across the bridge, but it is in fact still in the air at this moment. 

Not quite as great of a shot as I was hoping for, but I bet I'm the only photographer who got a shot of the Hollywood flyover and the LAX landing.