Trinity Sunrise

28 Oct 2014

Flying from Socorro, New Mexico.

Every New Year morning, 

I try to be in the air when the sun first peeps above the horizon.

I had dreamed of doing the 2015 New Year flight here,
over the Trinity Site,
where the first atomic bomb exploded,

but couldn't get an extension until January to my visa,

so had to do the flight now......

So took off before sunrise, right at legal first light,

and climbed hard to meet the sun at altitude.

Timed it just right.

Exciting!

 The Trinity Site is inside the White Sands Missile Range, so can't fly over it.

So this shot is from just outside the boundary, 

20 miles from the actual site.

..........................................................

Then flew over to the nearby Very Large Array of radio telescopes

 Today the telescopes were all bunched close together,

but they're on rail lines so can be spread out for miles.

I didn't fly in front of the dishes, in case my engine gives them interference.....