Huntsville in Madison County, Alabama — The American South (East South Central)
Shuttle Training Aircraft
Gulfstream II C-11A, G-1159
Photographed by Sandra Hughes Tidwell, May 20, 2024
1. Shuttle Training Aircraft Marker
An Unusual Hybrid
Chief among the many changes made to the Gulfstream G-11 for use as a Shuttle Training Aircraft (STA) is the highly modified cockpit in order to provide the most realistic approach and landing training possible, all the original controls on the pilot's side of the G-11 were removed and replaced with hardware from the commander's side of the Orbiter's Forward Flight Deck. This included adding switches and panels that connected only to simulation computers, replacing the yoke with a joystick, gauges with screens, and more. As the Shuttle Flight Decks were upgraded, so were the STAs.
On the outside of the craft, the most obvious difference is the addition of the thrust reversers to the engines. This modification allowed the jet aircraft to decelerate like the unpowered Orbiter.
On loan from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Air & Space • Exploration.
Location. 34° 42.637′ N, 86° 39.136′ W. Marker is in Huntsville, Alabama, in Madison County. It is on Tranquility Base west of Old Madison Pike. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1 Tranquility Base, Huntsville AL 35805, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in North Alabama. It is also in the American South, specifically in the Deep South, in Appalachia, and specifically in Southern Appalachia. Globally, it is in North America, a Gulf of Mexico state, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the original Cherokee Nation, the territory of the Mississippian Culture, one of the Confederate States of America, and the Antebellum South.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers
this page online
Photographed by Sandra Hughes Tidwell
2. Shuttle Training Aircraft and Marker
Photographed by Sandra Hughes Tidwell
3. Shuttle Training Aircraft
Credits. This page was last revised on July 9, 2024. It was originally submitted on May 30, 2024, by Sandra Hughes Tidwell of Killen, Alabama, USA. This page has been viewed 226 times since then and 22 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on May 30, 2024, by Sandra Hughes Tidwell of Killen, Alabama, USA. • James Hulse was the editor who published this page.
