F-86 Pilot is About to Ride a Soyuz

[Dave Hadfield]

My brother Chris, who flies Hawk One for VWoC, is all set to launch off Yuri Gagarin's pad for a 6-month mission to the ISS.

.vintagewings.ca

If someone would like to post some of the fresh photos off the Internet, please go ahead. My access is a bit spotty at the moment.

Dave

[The Inspector]

And how damned cool is that!!! Have a safe journey Chris, if I get any clear weather I'll wave as you pass over.

[K225]

Godspeed Chris. A link to Dave O'Malley's story on the VWC site, Dave Hadfield is there.
http://www.vintagewings.ca/VintageNews/ ... field.aspx

[DH82EH]

All the best from a proud Canadian!

Here's to a fabulous mission.

Andy Scott

[Fouga23]

Good luck to him!

[RMAllnutt]

This is so fantastic Dave!... I can't imagine exactly how you must be feeling right now, but guess it's a mixture of extreme tension and enormous pride all mixed into one. I wish him the very best, and can't wait to see/hear what Chris gets up to in orbit!

All the best,
Richard

[tom d. friedman]

wow!! talk about a wix member with bragging rights!! very cool & congrats!!

[DH82EH]

I didn't want to say too much before the launch. That can't help but be a really aprehensive time. I could only imagine.
Fabulous news of what was basically a routine launch. Must have been amazing in person Dave. Great you could be there. What a ride!
I watched a couple of different news feeds on the net. It's hard to find one that doesn't have some blowhard reporter that has to yammer on about a subject, they clearly know very little about. I'd rather just listen to the mission.
Your family must be thrilled.

Congrats!!

Andy Scott

[bdk]

Found this to be of interest. Some good quotes in there.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/russian-rocket-carrying-3-astronauts-takes-off-for-space-station/2012/12/19/e1f3845a-49d7-11e2-8af9-9b50cb4605a7_story.html

[Fleet16b]

Lat night my wife and I were sitting in our local Pub having a pint.
The band started playing "Rocket Man " so we all raised a glass to Chris
and toasted him with the hopes of a great 6 month mission.

[Dave Hadfield]

Thanks guys. This whole experience has been wonderful, in the original sense of the word.

I was in the room when that Post picture was taken. And I met with Chris the day before, in Quarantine, and we guitar-jammed for a while, recording 4 songs on my iPhone.

The Russians do this stuff extremely well. They don't blow their own horn very much, but they sure can hit the high notes. Example: the rocket was sent from the assembly building to the Pad, and moved to the vertical, at -41C. For them, not a problem. The whole exercise took only 2 hours. We were about 30 ft away.

The blast off was different, in that the flame pattern and reddish colour surprised me. I'd never seen a kerosene burner launch before. And the vis was superb. We could see the thing for nearly the whole way to orbit.

Kazahkstan is different too. Camels lounging around semi-wild. Endless vistas, very dry and brown, extremely cold and usually windy. Strange language and alphabet. Mongol faces. Cigarettes everywhere.

But it all works. They display an elegant simplicity of design that is completely admirable.

Dave

[APG85]

Awesome!

Good article here:

http://www.collectspace.com/news/news-121912a.html

[Robbie Stuart]

Your brother is a brave & commendable man! I wish him the best of luck on his journey. I echo GODSPEED!

[Dave Hadfield]

Thanks again.

Say, would someone do me a favour and post a photo here? Google Flying Hadfields off the VWoC site, and find the photo of Chris in the F-86 in formation with me in the P-40 with my Dad?

Cheers,

Dave

[Dragonflydh90]

Here you go Dave, hope these are the ones. I liked the shot with the P-40 on the ground so added that too.

Best wishes to Chris from everyone here in NZ.

Photo 1


Photo 2


Photos courtesy of the VWOC website - Photo 1 taken by Peter Handley and Photo 2 taken by Richard Allnutt