What was that in the sky

Self

[clamper1797]

Did anyone else see what looked like a missle / rocket in the sky over Alameda / San Francisco at 7:00 PM (just now) ? Anbyone know what that was ????

[Steely Tom]

Tangentially related: Today I watched an odd looking airplane do repeated touch-and-goes out of the xxxxxx NY airport. This aircraft was odd because it was (a) a Boeing 707 (it had the characteristic spike on the vertical stabilizer), (b) painted entirely white with no markings whatsoever except for a tail number, and (c) had an odd boxy-looking assembly on top, located midway between the point at which the wings attach to the fuselage and the flight deck. This "boxy assembly" looked to me like some sort of sat-com antenna. Oh, and (d) no windows except for a little fisheye portholes toward the rear (and cockpit of course).

Very loud, and very very little smoke. I watched it fly directly away from me to the west, and I could see no smoke at all; even passenger jets which fly out of here all the time leave more smoke.

Anyway, I've never seen anything like it. It made me think that something is brewing if such an odd aircraft was in as obscure a place as I live. Take it from me, the Sultan of Brunei would not be visiting here!

Can't really compare with a rocket launch from Vandenberg, but still perhaps interesting. I'd love to know what this airplane is used for.

(steely)

[Dakmar]

Secrets to soak them ol engines in fresh corn squeezins. BOOOM!

[Dakmar]

Sonic boom, I meant. It's way too easy to say stuff that could be misinterpreted these days, eh?

[ElkGroveDan]

Yep the wife just called and sa8id she saw it from Elk Grove (where else?).

I think Vandenberg have been lobbing these things lately. If they are launched at the right time of day and they rise high enough to pick up the last rays of the setting sun again, they'll really put on a show in the darkened conuntryside below.

[clamper1797]

Did you see it ????

[LibWhacker]

Saw it in Sacramento. Quite a show. At first I didn't know what it was . . . A very bright point of light ascending northward on an unbelievably wide, bright, divergent tail. Thought for a second or two it was a meteor. Then saw the tell-tale puff of a rocket engine shutting down, just like the shuttle, and it was gone. I'm guessing it was a spy satellite being launched into polar orbit, since I can't see them testing the accuracy of a ballistic missile launched northward over the Continental US and/or Canada.

[clamper1797]

I looked down just for a second and looked up again and it was gone ... It was pretty spectacular from Discovery Bay though ...

PS ... Go Simon

[Moonmad27]

Santa Barbara, eh? What a beautiful city that is! Glad to know there's another Freeper so closeby! It's amazing how far away those Vandenberg launches can be seen. Sure hasn't been long since the last one. Last month I was watching one from here in Ventura County, and a pal flying out here saw it clearly from a plane taking off from the Phoenix, AZ airport.

[Dakmar]

Didn't see it, I'm too far away (Indianapolis, to be exact). I just felt like chiming in with some irrelevent nonsense.

[Lower55]

This one looks like it could double as a mothership...

And that shower head looks good, too.

[capitan_refugio]

The Freepergal "mystomachisturning" is up in the Goleta area, I believe. I'm a little farther south in Ventura County. Beautiful area, but a little too liberal and pricey for my tastes. Glad to know there are some "right-minded" folks in the area, though! ;^)

[clamper1797]

It was way cool ... almost dropped the bong ... ;^)

[Dakmar]

Now that's serious cool. Or way drunk...

I'll give you the benefit of that doubt and assume it was way cool. :-)

[dogbowl]

Moving north over Stockton, I thought it was a helicopter lookin' for punks at first, that's how bright the light was. It looked like a big flashlight moving backwards. Then the light went out, while the glow remained a few more seconds. A twisting smoke trail, partially lit by the long-set sun, stretched southward. Freakin' BEAUTIFUL! I got a patriotic rush then and there, I think the others in the parking lot felt it too.