PIAF - Apollo 13: Mission Control

      Yes, I have yet to make a single post about my recent vacation (I'm blaming the excruciating heat outside/in the computer room for that) but I just had an adventure that cannot wait. The Perth International Arts Festival is back (I've blogged on this before) and besides the Writer's Festival I'll be attending, one other event caught my eye and imagination.
      The Apollo 13: Mission Control       Hands-on experience filled with action, confusion (planned and otherwise), laughs and drama.

At Mission Control

Pad Comms , Green Team

Never mind sitting in the Press Gallery watching the action. I paid the big bucks to be part of the action. I'm not sure any of us knew how the event was supposed to play out, so I'm sure a confusion not found in real life and only marginally in the movie added to the drama and thrill. No dozing on this job!  Turns out, I was part of Pad Comms.  I had a phone!  I even got to raise the alert about geese getting too close to the engines. The guy on the other end of my hotline told me about them.  Not on cue (still trying to figure out where we fit in with the professional actors leading it) but not to be deterred from my duties, I interrupted some very boring personnel talk to stand up and notify EVERYONE that  geese were becoming a problem on the launch pad.  Not sure the actors were thrilled with me (or my camera, for that matter) but improv is the name of this game after all.  And it was a crucial point later on in the flight.

Action viewed from my station

Captain Lovell and team

 A surprising number of very young kids were there. Ten and over I can understand, but five year-olds?  Little ability to comprehend what was going on.  One lucky 14 year-old got MY spot on the spaceship. He's on the far right in the astronaut shot. Subbing for the sick astronaut exposed to the measles.  But I'm not bitter.  
     O.K. Most of us knew how this played out at the end.  Even expected the shouting match between  a frustrated, grounded astronaut and the head of Mission Control.  But it was loads of fun, especially once we figured out where we fit in in this highly interactive performance.  I went for my Uncle Norm- a long time NASA and aeronautics fan.   His enthusiasm for the space program spilled over unto his nieces & nephews and automobile license plates.  If I can't get him on a spaceship at the Senior Space Camp in Alabama, I hope to direct him to Mission Control.  
       T minus 20 and counting.