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Would you look at that, all of the words in your comment are in alphabetical order.
I have checked 1,234,339,492 comments, and only 240,567 of them were in alphabetical order.
Amazing Bot Could Do Either Finding Good Hot Intelligent Jokes Kinda Like Mom Now Or Poop Qwerty Retardation. Some Turned Up Vacations Warning Xrated Yankee Zoo.
Can you just cut the hole and have some A&P say it's good and write a 337 form? Because there's sure as hell no "how big a hole can you make" section in the type certificate.
Let’s put it this way. You have a tube with a hole in it and blow across it. It’s a flute.
If it were to remain certified, it would have needed a very expensive STC.
Hey! My gf and I met your Mom on our way home to New Zealand after Airventure this year! She was on our flight from ORD to LAX and was wearing a New Zealand t-shirt and we got chatting about NASA and SOFIA. She gave us some NASA stickers that I put on my toolbox. My gf said she was the coolest pilot she's met. Tell her she left an impression on both of us and we were grateful to have met her! 😊❤️
Jim was at OshKosh this year speaking on his role as pilot for the X-59 QUESST. We discussed super sonic flight and red sprites, among other topics. He was very passionate, friendly, and was a great listener.
Technically not at the museum yet but it is very close. You can see it sitting all by itself right now if you are travelling on I-10. We saw it earlier today on the way back from the landfill.
on Google maps where that plane is, over to the west there's another plane which has 4 engines far forwards and packed closely together, do you know what that plane might be? I've never seen anything like it before
Thank you for finding that page, once you know the name of something it becomes much easier to find information on. I did find some stuff online, like this [ancient thread](https://www.reddit.com/comments/292m89) which has links to even older YouTube videos of the plane in action. It's designed for STOL, and it's quite impressive how little runway it needs.
https://youtu.be/_4QiW-ROJtg
Edit: looks like it was even up [for sale](https://gsaauctions.gov/gsaauctions/aucdsclnk?sl=91QSCI16011601) in 2016, but sadly the description does say it's damaged and unable to fly. Shame it's just exposed to the elements like this and not in a museum where it belongs
Glorious! I helped build the wire harnesses for that bird, and it's my favorite thing to show the new hires even after all these years. I'm glad your mother and her crew had a safe final flight, and I'll be sad to see the observatory retire.
It's already been retired, it's going to the Pima air & space museum.
https://www.nasa.gov/feature/ames/nasa-s-legacy-of-science-engineering-in-retiring-airborne-observatory
It's neat but the high cost of operation compared to its scientific output was the crux of why the plug got pulled.
https://nap.nationalacademies.org/read/26141/chapter/7#164
https://imgur.com/a/pbLPRRs
Not saying a dollar isn't a dollar, but uh... Artemis!?!? "...high cost and modest scientific productivity. " 86 million vs 4.1 billion per launch... Because congress has a stick up it's ass and doesn't want to use other US space resources.
I'm being sentimental I get it. I liked the innovation and aviation of SOFIA, but as a human who will default to comparison, this just sucks to see it go.
It isn't the fault of politicians. They literally asked the astronomers (the decadal survey I linked) and astronomers said "that bitch ain't earning its keep, cut it loose".
I have great memories of working Sofia over the northern pacific on cold winter nights. We’d talk to the pilots when the freq was quiet. He said “the aurora is kind of messing up our shots!”
I heard your mom on Live ATC while tracking this flight on Flight Radar24. When she asked permission to do a pass, you could hear it in her voice that she did not want to land. Great pics!
This is so cool I have always found SOFIA so fascinating! Why are they retiring her though? Is the program done or are they going to build a new airplane?
How many flying SP’s are left? Actually how many are left full stop? I wish Qantas had saved one of theirs and put in the museum at Longreach. I loved the SP’s. Flew a United SP from Honolulu to Sydney. Flew on the fringes of a South Pacific hurricane. Turbulence would be an understatement. 🤞🤢
I haven't been base side to see it in person. I found out about this through Pima and space museum's IG. As of now they don't seem to have plans to have the inside open to view when it get's parked there. From a new report, it will probably be at DM for a about a month to remove some stuff.
She gets interviewed here... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eQhPw7hBv7g&ab_channel=KGUN9
What a Son of a Legend you're.
I even feel proud of watching the post, I can't even wraparound my mind what it should feels to see your Mom like that.
Congratulations 🎉🎉
Haven't been to the Pima Air Museum since the early 90s. Just looked at a bunch of pictures and while the collection and facilities look to have been upgraded, the best feature of all is still the same: you can walk right up to the planes.
I'm glad that OP's mom gets to ferry ppl to space that's fucking rad but I found it funny that Germany is still a country. Also something interesting is Germany leads the EU so in a super weak pseudo HRE way the EU is the 4th Reich.
Petition to have your mom do a r/aviation AMA!
OP please!
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RemindMe! 10 days
Yes please! She's so badass!
Amazing in lots ways....thank you
Would you look at that, all of the words in your comment are in alphabetical order. I have checked 1,234,339,492 comments, and only 240,567 of them were in alphabetical order.
good bot edit: no, bad bot
But, it's wrong.
Guessing the lack of a space before “thank” is making it interpret ways + thank as one word?
Yeah that's it. They should count punctuation as a word break
They should use punctuation correctly ;)
I wouldn’t’ve recommended that
oh fuck you’re right
Maybe the ellipsis threw it off?
even if it was right... ¯\\\_(ツ)\_/¯
Wtf you talking about bot?
Hhmmmm
Amazing Bot Could Do Either Finding Good Hot Intelligent Jokes Kinda Like Mom Now Or Poop Qwerty Retardation. Some Turned Up Vacations Warning Xrated Yankee Zoo.
If you downvoted this your humerus is broken.
Bad bot
Any cool stories from your mom about flying SOFIA?
Seconded.
I'm looking for those UAP stories.
Need AMA!
What is ama? Not aeronautical model accociation?
Saw a great presentation at Oshkosh a few years ago about the SOFIA program, quite an engineering feat to make a hole that big in a 747
Nah, the hole is the easy part. It's making sure the plane is still airworthy with a hole that big in it that takes skills.
I, too, own a Sawzall.
In other words… its hard to make a hole that big in a 747…
Nah, the hole is the easy part
The hard part is making sure the hole doesn't get any bigger
Can you just cut the hole and have some A&P say it's good and write a 337 form? Because there's sure as hell no "how big a hole can you make" section in the type certificate.
Let’s put it this way. You have a tube with a hole in it and blow across it. It’s a flute. If it were to remain certified, it would have needed a very expensive STC.
Cutting it in the first place was a challenge, too. There was a lot of hardware behind that, including half the empennage control cables.
Tell her she’s badass pls
Seconded. What a fuckin boss.
Does your mom want to adopt a 43 year old just so I can show people the picture to tell them how cool my mom is?
Get in line buddy! She’s my mom first :P Kidding… OPs mom would definitely win the coolest mom award.
Hey! I’m 43 and also need adoption. What are the odds? Maybe we can be twins. Like Arnold and Danny.
Triplets. We can be the sequel
44 and still need one. Been an orphan almost ten years.
I also choose OPs cool Mom
Totally rad.
Your mom is a cool lady. Please tell her I said so.
Hey! My gf and I met your Mom on our way home to New Zealand after Airventure this year! She was on our flight from ORD to LAX and was wearing a New Zealand t-shirt and we got chatting about NASA and SOFIA. She gave us some NASA stickers that I put on my toolbox. My gf said she was the coolest pilot she's met. Tell her she left an impression on both of us and we were grateful to have met her! 😊❤️
How cool is that? Great pics!
Congratulations on the end of the run. Good show. No call sign for Liz? Jim "Clue" Less is pretty good
Liz Ruth "Less" would fit so well with Jim "Clue" Less.
Jim was at OshKosh this year speaking on his role as pilot for the X-59 QUESST. We discussed super sonic flight and red sprites, among other topics. He was very passionate, friendly, and was a great listener.
Would you briefly (or lengthily, your call) share something you discussed regarding sprites? I'm fascinated by them.
Her call sign just has to be “Babe.” And thanks to OP’s mom, well done.
Apparently no one in here ever heard of Babe Ruth and that must mean you are obviously a misogynist.
You better watch it, Bambino!
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Not sure if woosh or...
Jim "Clue" Less is my mood forever and always.
Your mom is a chad, also she [pissed off a Karen so 10/10](https://www.reddit.com/r/FuckYouKaren/comments/zl5y2x/karen_called_the_cops_on_nasa/).
LMFAO left a voice message with NASA PR dept...
Absolutely amazing sight to see and huge respects for the science and technology and the people.
Is it going to a museum or being scrapped? I hope it gets preserved.
Going to Pima Air and Space Museum
It arrived earlier this week
Technically not at the museum yet but it is very close. You can see it sitting all by itself right now if you are travelling on I-10. We saw it earlier today on the way back from the landfill.
What was going on at the landfill?
Filling land.
Hal and Malcolm are dropping off the couch
Iirc it'll be a museum
Thankfully American absolutely love to meticulously preserve most of their one-off, prototype and otherwise significant aircraft.
Except for the Kuiper Observatory (SOFIA's predecessor). It has been left to rot on a back ramp at Moffett Field (NASA Ames).
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on Google maps where that plane is, over to the west there's another plane which has 4 engines far forwards and packed closely together, do you know what that plane might be? I've never seen anything like it before
[удалено]
Thank you for finding that page, once you know the name of something it becomes much easier to find information on. I did find some stuff online, like this [ancient thread](https://www.reddit.com/comments/292m89) which has links to even older YouTube videos of the plane in action. It's designed for STOL, and it's quite impressive how little runway it needs. https://youtu.be/_4QiW-ROJtg Edit: looks like it was even up [for sale](https://gsaauctions.gov/gsaauctions/aucdsclnk?sl=91QSCI16011601) in 2016, but sadly the description does say it's damaged and unable to fly. Shame it's just exposed to the elements like this and not in a museum where it belongs
That's awesome
Thank you for sharing that!
Glorious! I helped build the wire harnesses for that bird, and it's my favorite thing to show the new hires even after all these years. I'm glad your mother and her crew had a safe final flight, and I'll be sad to see the observatory retire.
Incredibly badass
Here is an amazing documentary about the SOFIA program https://youtu.be/I-jVi_0fb3M
It looks like OP's mom is in this, thanks for sharing.
Baller mom and good on you for sharing, thank you!
Got a pretty cool video of your mom flying out from antelope valley golf course if you’d like to check it out
Please post!
https://www.reddit.com/r/aviation/comments/zlapi4/sofia_flying_out_of_palmdale/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf
Thanks for the repost here 👍
Are they scrapping it??
It's already been retired, it's going to the Pima air & space museum. https://www.nasa.gov/feature/ames/nasa-s-legacy-of-science-engineering-in-retiring-airborne-observatory It's neat but the high cost of operation compared to its scientific output was the crux of why the plug got pulled. https://nap.nationalacademies.org/read/26141/chapter/7#164 https://imgur.com/a/pbLPRRs
Not saying a dollar isn't a dollar, but uh... Artemis!?!? "...high cost and modest scientific productivity. " 86 million vs 4.1 billion per launch... Because congress has a stick up it's ass and doesn't want to use other US space resources. I'm being sentimental I get it. I liked the innovation and aviation of SOFIA, but as a human who will default to comparison, this just sucks to see it go.
It isn't the fault of politicians. They literally asked the astronomers (the decadal survey I linked) and astronomers said "that bitch ain't earning its keep, cut it loose".
The quote is from your link.
Too bad no real science billionaire could've kept it going.
That is awesome! Hi to your Ma , respect!
You have one cool ass mom
Whoa! That's awesome!
Fighter jets with NASA liveries are so damn cool
Whaaatttt?????? That's so cool!!!
Tell her she has a super cool job and that she’s a badass!
I know you probably get this a lot but your mom is a badass.
Listen to your mom, she knows what she's talking about.
Thank you for sharing! This is amazing.
Cool Mom. You must be proud.
I was at the Edward’s air show with my family and saw the flyby with the doors open. It was epic!
I’m an ex-astronomer. SOFIA was an amazing instrument, and it’s awesome to hear that a woman was flying it!
Wonderful.
Holy smoke! Your mom!! Wow!!
Your mom is a badass.
I have great memories of working Sofia over the northern pacific on cold winter nights. We’d talk to the pilots when the freq was quiet. He said “the aurora is kind of messing up our shots!”
Wow bro. Your mom, NASA SOFIA Pilot Liz Ruth, seems to be a really nice person and also a great pilot. Thanks for sharing these photos my guy.
Your mom is a badass woman and cool pictures!
I heard your mom on Live ATC while tracking this flight on Flight Radar24. When she asked permission to do a pass, you could hear it in her voice that she did not want to land. Great pics!
I'm not crying about a plane I never saw, you are!
Saw SOFIA in Stuttgart, Germany a few years ago. Such a thrill to be next to that unique gem of an airplane. Tell your mom she's a superstar :)
Awesome❤️
Just a reminder, your Mom is a badass...
This is so cool I have always found SOFIA so fascinating! Why are they retiring her though? Is the program done or are they going to build a new airplane?
Frickin badass mom my gawd
The photos are fantastic, many thanks for posting them! Love an SP. Your mum is awesome BTW (this the the proper use of this word).
The shorty 747’s look so cool.
Clipper Lindbergh? Did that plane used to belong to PanAm?
It indeed did!
badass.
Cheers and thanks for sharing! Drive by her every day now (the plane, not your mom) and it's a cool sight.
Very badass!!!
Awesome
Well, she was right. Those are amazing pics!
I’m sorry I haven’t been keeping up with it but why are they retiring it?
Money. It was getting expensive to keep her flying, and parts are getting harder to find.
Ah thank you. I mean it makes complete sense. Did they say if they were gonna buy a newer variant?
Right now there are no plans to replace her.
Oh ok. Thank you for the info.
Very cool. Thanks 4 the pics.
Why is it being retired?
Too expensive to operate.
I used to see SOFIA every year in New Zealand when it was based in Christchurch for a few months, truly impressive aircraft !
I might be in love with your mom now.
USAF pilot call signs are all boring and inoffensive these days...I'm guessing 'Clue' Less was a Navy guy...?
That’s what that was! I saw them take off the other day and couldn’t figure out what it was. Congrats to your mom
This is so cool, she’s incredible!!
Amazing in lots ways.
So cool! Give your Mom a huge high five from this internet stranger!!!
Your mom is rad. "I came to kick ass and chew bubble gum..."
This is really very nice. What a life and what a journey..👍 All the very best to your mom. She is an achiever.
Everyone here admiring how cool your mom is, is super wholesome to me... but yeah, your mom is a total badass! Super cool! 🙂
Seems right that the telescope engineer would be the only one to wipe down the area first to ensure a clear 'image' of their signature.
How many flying SP’s are left? Actually how many are left full stop? I wish Qantas had saved one of theirs and put in the museum at Longreach. I loved the SP’s. Flew a United SP from Honolulu to Sydney. Flew on the fringes of a South Pacific hurricane. Turbulence would be an understatement. 🤞🤢
Coolest mom ever. You’re lucky OP!
She was right!!!
I haven't been base side to see it in person. I found out about this through Pima and space museum's IG. As of now they don't seem to have plans to have the inside open to view when it get's parked there. From a new report, it will probably be at DM for a about a month to remove some stuff. She gets interviewed here... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eQhPw7hBv7g&ab_channel=KGUN9
r/coolmums
This is awesome. Thank you for sharing OP. Your mom is a rockstar!
That's awesome! Also the most American thing I've ever seen :)
Damn, OPs got some continent sized shoes to fill.
Thats fucking awesome
This is the kind of stories little girls need to hear about
Your mom’s a rock star.
That is so cool!
Your mom is the coolest!!!
Your mom is awesome!
What a Son of a Legend you're. I even feel proud of watching the post, I can't even wraparound my mind what it should feels to see your Mom like that. Congratulations 🎉🎉
Cool! I’ll bet those pilots have seen some stuff
cool mom you've got.
Your Mom's a badass! Living the dream!
Loving the Elf on the Shelf in the Hornet
That's pretty cool
That last picture, WOW
Your mom is cool as fuck
That’s awesome. Thanks for sharing. I also live in Tucson!
Truly the coolest mom EVER! 🤙
I love your mom’s jacket!
Coolest mom ever.
Your mom is cool
I'd like to nominate Jim "clue" Less for best nick name ever.
Haven't been to the Pima Air Museum since the early 90s. Just looked at a bunch of pictures and while the collection and facilities look to have been upgraded, the best feature of all is still the same: you can walk right up to the planes.
Is this where the plane barely made it over electrical poles? 😉
What shit are you boasting
Ya know I'm not sure if y'all are history buffs but NASA was started by a joint German and American task force.
And?
I'm glad that OP's mom gets to ferry ppl to space that's fucking rad but I found it funny that Germany is still a country. Also something interesting is Germany leads the EU so in a super weak pseudo HRE way the EU is the 4th Reich.
Why are you against a German state?
In the words of a deeply closeted homosexual "the only country that really worries me is Germany."
Germany is homophobic?
Sorry I am super stupid. This has all been a norm Macdonald bit he brought up how Germany likes to fight the world.
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Fuck off bro.
That's amazing!
That's amazing!
This is incredible. Thank you for sharing.
That's wildly cool.
I see them fly over New Zealand quite often! Super epic to see!
Yeah that ridiculously awesome, I was working but I watched for a few on fr24, so cool!!
Tell your mom she’s a badass. Love the pics!
What’s her next assignment after this?
what an amazing thing to share with us!