It's a day I'll never forget. Was at Luke working a busy day shift, briefing pilots on their flight plans, observing the weather conditions.
Our station chief, a Senior Master SGT, lightened the morning up by wheeling a TV into the hall where we and the fighter pilots could watch the Challenger lift off.
Luke AFB was one of the emergency landing runways were the orbit to be scrubbed. Didn't bother me a bit to send in additional landing data to NASA on those launches, it was an honor.
We all know what happened, seemingly flawless lift off, then disaster. Within seconds, the Chief yanked the TVs cord out of the wall and teared up as he and our unit commander went in to their offices and closed their doors. They rarely ever closed their door's.
There wasn't a dry eye in the flight planning room. Everyone was quiet, everyone wanted left alone. But our work went on and there'd be more successful launches and tragedies. But I'll never forget that day.
Anyone else remember where they were that day?