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Long-roofs
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 Posted: Mon Jun 01, 2015 9:29 pm Post subject: Apollo 11 Volkswagen Moon Caravan |
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Watched the NOVA program on Neil Armstrong. They had a video from up above and it was endless Buses camping. An article said up to 100 Volkswagen Apollo Caravan were involved. The only pics I can find....
Any more info?
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Last edited by Long-roofs on Tue Jun 02, 2015 7:20 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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danfromsyr
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| Posted: Tue Jun 02, 2015 6:29 am Post subject: |
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interesting..
all I'd found so far. has your 1st image in the article.
| Quote: |
Apollo 11 VW caravan
On July 16, 1969, my family was a part of a caravan of Volkswagen buses who traveled to Cape Kennedy to watch the Apollo 11 launch. The caravan of buses were sponsored by a local VW dealer. We overnighted on a sand spit across the waterway from the launch site, and awoke early to be ready for lift off. Folks around us cooked breakfast and visited until launch time. The sky was hazy and bright, but I dutifully watched the eastern skyline as the rocket blasted off, as my dad had told me this was very important and memorable. My aunt and uncle were watching at the Cape, as my uncle was a clerk for the space program, having worked with Werner Von Braun. Four days later, we watched on our tiny black and white tv at home in Dr's. Inlet, Florida, as Neil Armstrong took his first step onto the moon's surface. Submitted by Jan Martin Hutchens, almost 5 in this photo, with my mother, Nell Martin, and brother Robert, photo taken by my father Joe Martin. Launch photo taken by my mother. Sent from my BlackBerry Smartphone provided by Alltel |
source: http://ireport.cnn.com/docs/DOC-301194
and a search on your 2nd image returns this article.
source: http://jacksonville.com/news/metro/2009-07-19/stor...NmMiqb5dBQ
| JJAJR on Sunday, July 19, 2009 @ 12:48 pm wrote: |
I remember and was part of the Volkswagen Van Caravan that was sponsored by Al Sager Volkswagen. The night before the launch everyone who owned a Volkswagen van assembled at the Phillips Highway shopping center parking lot. We were given a box lunch for every passenger in the vans and a decal was stuck on the sides of the vans that said "Apollo 11 Moon Caravan".
We departed the shopping center around 11PM and traveled down US 1 toward Cape Canaveral. All you could see in front of you were miles and miles of tail lights and in the rear view mirror were miles and miles of head lights!
We arrived at a reserved location on the river to watch the space shot. It was beautiful! The thing that I remember about the launch the most is the color of the flame from the rocket. It was gold!
After the launch we all left for home but we were not in the same formation that we were in on the way down. It was a huge traffic jam. What a great memory! |
and since you've piqued my interest here's a great personal diary on accounts of apollo 11
http://educationforum.ipbhost.com/index.php?showtopic=14101
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JohnnyDemonic
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Skyline
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busdaddy
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| Posted: Tue Jun 02, 2015 12:35 pm Post subject: |
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Ahhh.... so that's what the signs on the sides say, that video first showed up in 2009 during the 40'th anniversary of the moon trip, so many white bay campers as well as a few deluxes and some splitties, cool.
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Long-roofs
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| Posted: Tue Jun 02, 2015 7:15 pm Post subject: |
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Amazing how Neil Armstrong, 2 years after reaching the pinnacle of his career, he was out of NASA and living on a farm in Ohio. He was a rock star and just got out, was never comfortable with his stardom.
Another photo:
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busdaddy
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| Posted: Tue Jun 02, 2015 8:38 pm Post subject: |
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No kidding, I've read and watched a few things on Niel, he definitely didn't look at it like it was a big deal and just kept moving along with his life, did the job, been there done that, now it's boring what's next?. Very cool guy nonetheless, they don't make many like that anymore.
Here's another photo:
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richparker
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busdaddy
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| Posted: Tue Jun 02, 2015 9:42 pm Post subject: |
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Anyone spot the oval geman plate on the dark bay westy in the upper right?
Aside from the location it could have been my family in the Econoline in the lower right, Dad had an ex budget rental van in a fetching shade of Macco yellow just like that around that time that he had a camper interior installed in. The smell of bacon on a Coleman stove mixed with gas fumes and rubber mat stink never ever leaves you  
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old DKP driver
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| Posted: Tue Jun 02, 2015 11:23 pm Post subject: bacon |
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That could have .been 'Kevin Bacon' in that dark blue Westy making breakfast. 
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Tcash
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| Posted: Wed Jun 03, 2015 8:10 am Post subject: |
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notchboy
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| Posted: Wed Jun 03, 2015 8:30 am Post subject: |
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I think its interesting that there are so many bays. I was under a somewhat impression that my parents generation was "frugal" in that a new car was more of a luxury. Id of expected to see more splits.
But judging by the photo it would seem they had every bit the voracious appetite to have the latest new thing out?
Or the dealer offered this trip to new car buyers only 
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sunnydog
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| Posted: Wed Jun 03, 2015 11:18 pm Post subject: |
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here's a quick editorial piece that briefly mentions the 100-bus caravan disturbing sleep at 5:30 AM:
https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=WVVQAAAAIBAJ&sjid=kFcDAAAAIBAJ&pg=5476%2C7028146
Also a newsphoto and caption.
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bugger101
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Malokin Martin
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| Posted: Thu Jun 04, 2015 12:01 pm Post subject: |
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Here is another one with a bit more around the edges. The "Rocket Men" movie was pretty great for what it's worth... The helicopter shot of the buses/crowd is about 5 seconds.
| Brian wrote: |
I was watching a documentary last night about the space race called Rocket Men. A helicopter flew by showing everyone camped out to watch one of the launches.
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P.s. Armstrong had passed the point of no return (fuel) when landing. If he had missed touchdown that would have been it. The final bit was actually much more dramatic than people today know. Apparently his heartbeat through all of this wasn't much higher than his resting heart rate. Gerald Schaber monitored Armstrong's vitals while running out of fuel and overshooting the planned landing of their module. He said:
| Quote: |
| "It was really slow on the way down," he says, "while Aldrin's was racing. But that was typical of Neil. Just like the first thing he really said was, 'Houston we have engine shut down here,' really calmly. Mission control told him to he speak again. It was then he said, 'The eagle has landed,' for the TV networks. He was just that cool." |
people back then were so much more than we are today. |
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sodbuster
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| Posted: Thu Jun 04, 2015 12:49 pm Post subject: |
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| Malokin Martin wrote: |
Here is another one with a bit more around the edges. The "Rocket Men" movie was pretty great for what it's worth... The helicopter shot of the buses/crowd is about 5 seconds.
| Brian wrote: |
I was watching a documentary last night about the space race called Rocket Men. A helicopter flew by showing everyone camped out to watch one of the launches.
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P.s. Armstrong had passed the point of no return (fuel) when landing. If he had missed touchdown that would have been it. The final bit was actually much more dramatic than people today know. Apparently his heartbeat through all of this wasn't much higher than his resting heart rate. Gerald Schaber monitored Armstrong's vitals while running out of fuel and overshooting the planned landing of their module. He said:
| Quote: |
| "It was really slow on the way down," he says, "while Aldrin's was racing. But that was typical of Neil. Just like the first thing he really said was, 'Houston we have engine shut down here,' really calmly. Mission control told him to he speak again. It was then he said, 'The eagle has landed,' for the TV networks. He was just that cool." |
people back then were so much more than we are today. |
The above piece of film footage was also used in the motion picture, The Right Stuff  |
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johnt55
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| Posted: Mon Oct 24, 2016 12:47 pm Post subject: Re: Apollo 11 Volkswagen Moon Caravan |
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I was there that morning.
In fact, I still have an extra one of those signs that say,"Volkswagen Moon Caravan."
I seem to recall that it may have been organized by a local VW dealer. But I may be wrong about that. We had this section of beach all to ourselves, but it was still several miles from the launch site. Stick out your thumb at arms length and that's about how big the rocket was to us on the beach.
I clearly remember than many of us were up all night, drinking, etc. But as soon as they started the countdown everyone got very quiet. As if everyone got sober instantly, you know? Not a sound. It was a few seconds after the ignition was seen before you could actually hear it. The waters of the inland bay which we were parked alongside actually rippled with the roar of the rocket engines. Even 5 miles away you could feel the vibration it in your feet.
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camit34
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| Posted: Mon Oct 24, 2016 1:18 pm Post subject: |
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I swore I saw a cell phone in this persons hand taking a selfie when it first scrolled onto the screen...
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Abscate
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| Posted: Mon Oct 24, 2016 2:32 pm Post subject: Re: Apollo 11 Volkswagen Moon Caravan |
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| Quote: |
| people back then were so much more than we are today. |
I don't agree, but I'll confess I've thought this in the past.
Now I've met young people who make every bit as proud to have the same number of chromosomes.
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sunnydog
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| Posted: Mon Oct 24, 2016 4:03 pm Post subject: Re: Apollo 11 Volkswagen Moon Caravan |
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Here's the short clip -- all glorious 6 seconds
Link
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