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From: giles@ucf-cs.UUCP (Bruce Giles)
Newsgroups: net.columbia
Subject: Re: Shuttle landings & Orlando International
Message-ID: <1237@ucf-cs.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 20-Apr-84 00:06:54 EST
Article-I.D.: ucf-cs.1237
Posted: Fri Apr 20 00:06:54 1984
Date-Received: Sat, 21-Apr-84 00:29:43 EST
References: <7214@decwrl.UUCP>
Organization: University of Central Florida
Lines: 25

During the approach for the first (and only) KSC landing, the ground track
of the shuttle passed directly over Orlando International Airport.  I
should mention that this should be a relatively rare occurance; those
ground tracks covered nearly all of Central Florida when the paper
publishes them in case of an (emergency) landing at KSC.

For those unfamiliar with Central Florida, OIA (MCO on tags) has two 15000
foot ex-military runways and is less than 50 miles from KSC.  Yet, when the
shuttle passed overhead, I recall it was at something like 60,000 feet!

The airspace controllers generously gave up 3000 ft of their own airspace,
lowering the ceiling for all flights thoughout Central Florida to 30,000
feet, so you can see that there was no real effect from the shuttle.

As to the sonic booms, that may become a problem.  I know several people
who were awaken by the shuttle passing overhead, and I could imagine
an aircraft at half the distance could be in for a surprise.  But, nothing
has been mentioned here, despite generally good coverage as a local event.


ave discordia				going bump in the night ...
bruce giles

decvax!ucf-cs!giles			university of central florida
giles.ucf-cs@Rand-Relay			orlando, florida 32816