We had another project, a memorial flight.
I won’t give the details of who and why, if you need to know you already do.
6” upscale of a Warthog on an Aerotech M1419.
Flight was perfect except main at apogee and last gps location was on the launch pad. Becky G's eagle eyes kept track most of the way down. Robin and I take off in the truck with a second truck following going past the away cells and between the dunes. No possible way to follow the sight line We are wandering aimlessly. Stopped Robin said I had the look of doom and didn’t want to drive another inch. We were heading to be stuck and a long bad day. I don’t know why but I leaned forward to see around the windshield post and stare off at the brush. Way far away, I don’t even know what direction we were looking, I see a flash of orange. I see it again, there is the Rocketman chute billowing up! My truck doesn’t have the clearance to continue so Robin gets in the other truck and they finish the recovery. They said I spotted it from well over a mile. Was 2.5 miles from the range head.
I'm not one for the supernatural but I’m thinking maybe the "passenger" in the rocket gave a "look that way" hint.
Returning the rocket made joy for the family that would have been a bit empty without a recovery.
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