First trip to KSC! What should we know/see/do?

In article , says...
In article .com,
nancy13g wrote:
So my question is -- what else should we see there? What's a "must
see",

If you have a bit of extra time and money, you can have a hands-on
aviation experience. You can fly a WW-II advanced training aircraft,
just like Neil Armstrong. http://www.warbirdadventures.com/t-6_page.htm.
If you have more $$ than I had when I was there, you can even fly a P-51
from the same airport. Somewhere between the T-6 and the P-51 is a
chance to fly the "MASH helicopter".


what's a "don't bother" -- should we plan on going there on
Monday for the sightseeing and back on Tuesday for the launch, or will
we have time to see everything on Tuesday?

Much of the easily available stuff at KSC is little more than what you'd
find in Florida's famous Theme Parks. Focus on the bus tours, not on
"the guy in a mock-spacesuit doing doing the Mickey Mouse thing for the
sightseers". Plan your visit on the assumption that you will see exactly
one thing, and make that one thing the Saturn V exhibit -- do whatever
you have to do in order to touch the Moon. If you can manage to see a
second thing, make it the "Then and Now" tour. If you can fit in a third
thing, then "Lunch with an Astronaut" (or a variation on that theme) is
worth the time and $.


...Should I bring all my camera
equipment or will I (as I suspect) be too overwhelmed watching it live
to even think about taking pictures?

Bring it to Florida. Use it while waiting for lift-off. When you get
close to T-0...


It's easy to fall into the trap of being so busy getting the best shots of
everything that you don't really find time to watch!

Agreed, mostly. But... Those of us who are photographers know that the
most concentrated, most intense, form of seeing is seeing through a
viewfinder.


Focus on watching.

YES! Watch however is best for you. For me, a viewfinder helps...


(Note also that, particularly from today's viewing sites, you'll be seeing
liftoff and the first part of the ascent in silence. The sound takes a
while to reach you.)

The big format space launches in the movies (Apollo 13, IMAX Space
Station 3-D, etc) don't get this right. I've never seen a big rocket
launch, but every time I've talked to someone who has, they have told me
-- without prompting -- that is spooky to watch a zillion pounds of
rocket lift off the ground in total silence.


Any other touristy-type tips you can share?

It's coastal Florida. Even though it's January, take mosquito repellent
and sunscreen. You may not need them, but you don't want to find out the
hard way that you do.

Some kind of rain protection is also needed. Umbrella, tarp, raincoat,
or some such. Cape Canaveral is known for space launches, crocodiles and
Thunderstorm Research!
--
Kevin Willoughby lid

In this country, we produce more students with university degrees
in sports management than we do in engineering. - Dean Kamen

In message , Kevin Willoughby
writes
In article , says...

It's easy to fall into the trap of being so busy getting the best shots of
everything that you don't really find time to watch!

Agreed, mostly. But... Those of us who are photographers know that the
most concentrated, most intense, form of seeing is seeing through a
viewfinder.


You must have a better viewfinder than any camera I've seen. Henry's
advice is similar to that given for total solar eclipses (seen two,
missed two due to weather). A binocular or small telescope gets you
closer, but all those focussing aids or the LCD display of a digital
camera will really get in the way.


Focus on watching.

YES! Watch however is best for you. For me, a viewfinder helps...

Some kind of rain protection is also needed. Umbrella, tarp, raincoat,
or some such. Cape Canaveral is known for space launches, crocodiles and
Thunderstorm Research!

Alligators, surely? ;-)

In article ,
lid says...
You must have a better viewfinder than any camera I've seen. Henry's
advice is similar to that given for total solar eclipses (seen two,
missed two due to weather). A binocular or small telescope gets you
closer, but all those focussing aids or the LCD display of a digital
camera will really get in the way.

Depends on the viewer -- not everyone sees better through a viewfinder.

Depends on the camera. My cheapest camera, which produces some of my
best results, has just a simple, unadorned, big ground glass viewfinder
with no "aids" of any kind.

I wouldn't think of watching a significant event through the viewfinder
of my order-of-magnitude more expensive dSLR.
--
Kevin Willoughby lid

In this country, we produce more students with university degrees
in sports management than we do in engineering. - Dean Kamen