Joe,

The 747/shuttle flew a "victory loop" around the DC beltway, when the shuttle was being brought in to Dulles.


Went right over Goddard Space Flight Center, and of course we all went out to see it.

I recall there had been an earlier flyby a number of years ago, near the start of the STS program ( I was on console here at GSFC for the first four flights.)

The five on-board computers of the Shuttle were slightly less capable than an IBM PC ( first generation). But then, my TI SR-52 outpowered the one on the LEMs (Lunar Excursion Module).


The XB-70 is the one I wish I could have seen in flight. That would have made a good first stage for orbital launches.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stargazer_%28aircraft%29