Florida trip photos, mostly KCS and flight jackets...

[p51]

I went back home to Florida for 10 days and just got back. My wife, parents and I did the tourist stuff down in central Florida, which meant I was able to hit Kennedy Space Center for the first time in years. It's an amazing place (the visitor center is NOT cheap for admission, though). This was really cool, the gantry that Apollo 11's crew took to the command module in 1969. They let people walk across it. Talk about walking in the footsteps of giants!

And a very forelorn pad 39A. It was tough to know a shuttle will never be there again:

I got lots of space suit photos and I thought I'd focus on flight suits and jackets here, as some of you might know I'm a total flight jacket fiend:
Wally Schirra:

Pete Conrad:

Owen Garriott:

John Young:

Bob Crippen: (issue boots and helmet liner in the foreground)

I love Crippen's "Navy" take on the later NASA patch here!

Deke Slayton's A2:

And the mother of all flight helmet collections. I stood there for a few moments and took it in...


Spotted at the VAC museum at Tico (which I had never been to before and almost drove on poast, but my folks said to go anyway, and I'm so glad I did, still culling through all the airplane shots I took there. I loved this 'Nam era "party suit" which is quite valuable among collectors now.

[rwdfresno]

I have been to the Kennedy Space Center a couple of times but somehow missed that flight helmet display. Pretty amazing collection. Thanks for posting.

Ryan

[p51]

I have been to the Kennedy Space Center a couple of times but somehow missed that flight helmet display.

That and most of the flight suits/jackets are at the astronaut hall of fame building. If yuou paid to get into the KCS visitor center, the other facility is included in the admission overall and well worth the visit. Most of the older space worn stuff is over there anyway.

[APG85]

Wow! Great pictures! Thanks for posting them...