Request Patrick Air Force Base

[Graham2001]

Patrick AFB is a facility located north of Cape Canaveral that was closely associated with operations from the Cape up until the end of the Apollo era.

I thought that this might make for an interesting addon and a link for those flying between the Cape and say Wallops island ([ame="http://www.orbithangar.com/searchid.php?ID=3651"]Wallops Island[/ame]).

See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patrick_Air_Force_Base

 

[Andy44]

I seem to recall Patrick included as part of a alternate landing fields pack or something, wasn't it?

 

[Graham2001]

I seem to recall Patrick included as part of a alternate landing fields pack or something, wasn't it?

Not to my knowledge, hence the request.

 

[David413]

Having been to the base before, I can tell you that it is actually south of KSC, not north.

 

[Andy44]

Not to my knowledge, hence the request.

This might have been it, it's pretty old, though:

[ame="http://www.orbithangar.com/searchid.php?ID=1795"]Airbasesv1.0[/ame]

 

[Star Voyager]

That add-on is inaccurate. Here is what the real base looks like:

Here it is relative to the Cape:

The one presented in that add-on looks like some international airport randomly placed on the Florida mainland. I was stationed at Patrick AFB with Civil Air Patrol. All that's there are some C-130's and a couple of Black Hawks. It's a very small base, and has 2 runways (the other decommissioned). Their usual operations include:

1) Flying C-130's around to get in some hours

2) Black Hawks flying the perimeter of LC-39 during a shuttle launch

3) (If need be) Rescue the astronauts if they ditch in the Atlantic

 

[Graham2001]

Having been to the base before, I can tell you that it is actually south of KSC, not north.

Oops.

Misread the map I was looking at. However at least I had the right state!

Will try the old Orbiter 2003 addon, but if the description is right then maybe an update is needed.

 

[Andy44]

The one presented in that add-on looks like some international airport randomly placed on the Florida mainland.

I think the one in the add-on is actually Space Coast Regional Airport.

Looks like the add-on maker looked at the map wrong.

 

[Star Voyager]

TiCo isn't an international airport, though. It's west of the Cape, and if I remember correctly, this add-on had the airport near or around Palm Bay. Patrick on the other hand is directly south of Missile Row by 15-20 miles.

 

[Andy44]

What's TiCO?

 

[Star Voyager]

Before Space Coast Reg. was named Space Coast Reg., It was called the Titusville Cocoa Airport (Home of the Titusville Cocoa Airport Authority and the Valiant Air Command). Since the airport is on the border of the cities Titusville and Cocoa, it was called TiCo for short. Even after it was renamed, people still call it TiCo. But enough about TiCo. Patrick mainly provides support to NASA and ULA by security and launch operations. In the 1960's, it served almost like the prime AFB for the astronauts. Adding this to Orbiter would be interesting if you want to have 2 airports down the coast in a row...

 

[Starshipexplorer]

Hi All. My old version of Airbases1.0 is inaccurate. I made that early in my Orbiter experience..was more "creative" than realistic. I hope to update that add-on to more "realistic" bases... I have re-done most of those with surface tiles. Here is a more realistic Patrick AFB :

BASE-V2.0
Name = Patrick AFB
Size = 10000
Location = -80.610125 28.234922
MapObjectsToSphere = TRUE


; === List of visuals ===
BEGIN_OBJECTLIST
RUNWAY
END1 -1559 0 634
END2 1804 0 -586
WIDTH 60
ILS1 110.90
ILS2 109.10
RWTEX Runway2
NRWSEG 15
RWSEG1 1 0.025 0.5 0.75 1 0.852
RWSEG2 1 0.025 0.5 0.75 1 0.852
RWSEG3 1 0.007 0.5 0.75 0.852 0.7305
RWSEG4 1 0.06 0.5 0.75 0.5 0.03125
RWSEG5 1 0.007 0.5 0.75 0.7305 0.6133
RWSEG6 1 0.1 0.5 0.75 0.5 0.03125
RWSEG7 1 0.007 0.5 0.75 0.6133 0.5
RWSEG8 6 0.538 0.5 0.75 0.5 0.03125
RWSEG9 1 0.007 0.5 0.75 0.5 0.6133
RWSEG10 1 0.1 0.5 0.75 0.03125 0.5
RWSEG11 1 0.007 0.5 0.75 0.6133 0.7305
RWSEG12 1 0.06 0.5 0.75 0.03125 0.5
RWSEG13 1 0.007 0.5 0.75 0.7305 0.852
RWSEG14 1 0.025 0.5 0.75 0.852 1
RWSEG15 1 0.025 0.5 0.75 0.852 1
END
RUNWAYLIGHTS
END1 -1559 0 634
END2 1804 0 -586
WIDTH 60
PAPI 20. 3.0 -2000
VASI 1.5 152 671
END
RUNWAY
END1 -420 0 620
END2 -726 0 -351
WIDTH 50
ILS1 124.20
ILS2 122.40
RWTEX Runway2
NRWSEG 15
RWSEG1 1 0.025 0.5 0.75 1 0.852
RWSEG2 1 0.025 0.5 0.75 1 0.852
RWSEG3 1 0.007 0.5 0.75 0.852 0.7305
RWSEG4 1 0.06 0.5 0.75 0.5 0.03125
RWSEG5 1 0.007 0.5 0.75 0.7305 0.6133
RWSEG6 1 0.1 0.5 0.75 0.5 0.03125
RWSEG7 1 0.007 0.5 0.75 0.6133 0.5
RWSEG8 6 0.538 0.5 0.75 0.5 0.03125
RWSEG9 1 0.007 0.5 0.75 0.5 0.6133
RWSEG10 1 0.1 0.5 0.75 0.03125 0.5
RWSEG11 1 0.007 0.5 0.75 0.6133 0.7305
RWSEG12 1 0.06 0.5 0.75 0.03125 0.5
RWSEG13 1 0.007 0.5 0.75 0.7305 0.852
RWSEG14 1 0.025 0.5 0.75 0.852 1
RWSEG15 1 0.025 0.5 0.75 0.852 1
END
RUNWAYLIGHTS
END1 -420 0 620
END2 -726 0 -351
WIDTH 60
PAPI 20. 3.0 -2000
VASI 1.5 152 671
END
END_OBJECTLIST


This version of Patrick AFB is based on KSC Hi-res tiles by kukanotas. It's rather simple.....but a basis for one to expand on. Hope this helps

 

[Star Voyager]

You know, we could add this to Earth 1962. I'm sure it would be of great use there. Great work!

 

[4throck]

Do you have any specific information on flight missions out of Patrick AFB in support of Gemini or Mercury missions ?
Perhaps airspace checks, crew rescue, etc... was the base used for transport to KSC for example? A lot of nice missions could be created if that was the case.

 

[Star Voyager]

During the Mercury-Apollo era, it was used as a base for the astronauts to fly in and out of the Cape. If there was a manned launch, the T-33's and later T-38's would perform weather checks (i.e wind speed, percipitation, etc.). Crew rescue did come out of Patrick, but were usually close to the pad. Also, U-2 spy planes were launched from there during the late 1950's and early 1960's for reconnaissance on Cuba. Using the base .cfg above and this:

[ame="http://www.orbithangar.com/searchid.php?ID=1851"]Lockheed U2 Spycraft[/ame]


you can simulate that. Any thing else?

 

[4throck]

Thanks!
Well, do we know were the astronauts came from for each of the specific launches? Some role-playing missions would be nice in addition to the spaceflight themselves.
I'm thinking along the lines of having some pre-launch situations, including a launch pad inspection of LC19.
Of course, it's not something I would do right now, but if I find some related info I'll post it here for future reference.

 

[Star Voyager]

Thanks!
Well, do we know were the astronauts came from for each of the specific launches?

The astronaut office and mission control used to be at the Cape, but they were moved in honor of President Johnson to Houston. So mainly the astronauts came from Houston. Before that, they just drove from condos from Cocoa Beach.

I'm thinking along the lines of having some pre-launch situations, including a launch pad inspection of LC19.

How are you going to implement that?

 

[4throck]

I'm just thinking out aloud but a situation file with a helicopter would do.

 

[Star Voyager]

Okay, it just didn't sound relevant at first. But keep me informed on it!

 

[Graham2001]

Thanks.

If wikipedia is to be believed there was a launch facility at Patrick AFB for test launching the Matador cruise missile.