DFC Talk, Weather, Rocket Launch
Posted: 29 September 2025
Late Wednesday afternoon, 10 September 2025, a very brief rainshower occurred (0.04").
I was the special guest speaker at the 9/11 meeting of the Tucson Chapter of the Distinguished Flying Cross Society. I do not have a DFC so I was honored to be asked to be their speaker. I talked about my Air Force experiences and my successes and failures. I discussed how the teaching, program management, and leadership skills I learned while in the military helped me succeed in my later roles at a large aerospace company and then as a Dark Sky Advocate and TV Market Area Reform Advocate.
There was a brief thundershower late Thursday afternoon, 11 September (0.14"). Had three brief thundershowers (total 0.16") on Friday, 12 September. Before sunset there was this nice double rainbow.
On Tuesday, 16 September, had a couple of brief rains (0.08"). Thursday mid-day, 18 September, had a brief rain. That night a nice thunderstorm came through with continous lightning, followed by a second storm. Total rain for the day was 0.24".
On Saturday, 20 September, I attended a star party at Oracle State Park, a DarkSky International "International Dark Sky Park" since 2014.
Sunday, 21 September, had several thunderstorms come through (0.65").
Thursday, 25 September, had some thundershowers (0.19"). Saturday afternoon, 27 September, another round of thundershowers came through (0.14").
Sunday night, 28 September, there was a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launch from Vandenberg Space Force Base, California. 1812 MST: Sunset. 1904 MST: Launch. Here are handheld iPhone 15 Pro Max photos taken with the Camera app (Night Mode, 3 seconds). Later photos show the 1st stage boostback burn and then the re-entry burn (red glow just above the horizon).
190718 MST: 1st stage contrail (2X lens)

190729 MST: 1st and 2nd stage contrails (2X lens)

190747 MST: 1st and 2nd stage contrails (2X lens)

190757 MST: 1st and 2nd stage contrails (2X lens)

190847 MST: 1st and 2nd stage contrails (5X lens)

190921 MST: 2nd stage contrail and 1st stage (5X lens)

190947 MST: 2nd stage contrail and 1st stage (2X lens)

191016 MST: 2nd stage contrail and 1st stage boostback burn (2X lens)

191033 MST: 2nd stage contrail and 1st stage boostback burn (5X lens)

191103 MST: 2nd stage contrail and 1st stage entry burn (1X lens)

191113 MST: 2nd stage contrail and 1st stage entry burn (1X lens)

191121 MST: 2nd stage contrail and 1st stage entry burn (2X lens)

191156 MST: contrails (0.5X lens)
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