File:KSC-05-S-00297 (ksc 091205 rtf sca).webm

English: Space shuttle orbiter Discovery landed at Edwards Air Force Base in California August 9, ending NASA's first Return to Flight mission. Then it had to catch a ride home to NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. That's the job of a customized 747 jet known as the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft. NASA owns two of these planes, which had to be modified to carry their special cargo. Ferry flight engineer Larry LaRose explains. 'We took all the lavatories, all the galleys, the seats, the carpet, the baggage racks and stuff, and took that weight out. We took approximately 40,000 to 50,000 pounds of weight out. ...And it took about two years to modify it, to put the tip fins, the fairings on, and the mounts.' Using twice the power and fuel of a 747 on a normal flight, the aircraft relies on brute force to stay aloft. Veteran pilot and shuttle astronaut Gordon Fullerton has an extensive background with the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft. As chief pilot at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center in California, he's among the few who have ever flown the 747. 'To ferry an orbiter on top here? Well, it's a different ballgame than flying the orbiter in space. But it's equally interesting. Somewhat challenging, mainly because of the weather.' The orbiter cannot be exposed to any kind of moisture or turbulence, and sometimes the carrier aircraft must fly as low as 10,000 feet to prevent the space vehicle from getting too cold. How does this airplane handle when it's carrying such a large load? 'It handles remarkably the same. It's obvious it's up there because there's a constant rumble that you can feel because of the wake of the orbiter hitting the vertical stabilizer of the 747.' Now that Discovery is safely home in its processing facility at Kennedy, it's time to fly this 747 back out west for routine maintenance. But next time a space shuttle orbiter needs a ride home, the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft and a team of experienced aviators will be ready. 'It's pretty exciting. I mean, you don't sneak into town with this. It's fairly large, it brings a big crowd out everywhere we go to. A lot of questions, a lot of enthusiasm -- people really get pumped when they see this airplane and see the orbiter itself for the first time.'