It was a bright clear sunny day when we took the Fat Boy down to the west bank of the Halifax River to photograph it with the space shuttle launch in the background. This was to be a historic shuttle flight, it being the next to last flight ever for NASA’s Space Shuttle program and the last flight for this particular vehicle and who knows if this might be the last flight if the next shuttle flight is canceled for some unknown or unforeseen problem.

We positioned the ’95 yellow Fat Boy where we thought it would be centered so that the shuttle would be in the center of the picture. Remember, we were not alone as the crowds came to the river bank to watch the shuttle launch also. We had to shuffle the bike around so that the background wasn’t obstructed with lookie-loos either to examine the Fat Boy or to view the shuttle launch. We finally got the shot set up and all we had to do was wait on the people at NASA — some 60-plus or minus miles southeast of us to pull the trigger or light the fuse, or whatever they do to shoot this thing loaded with people into orbit. Of course the Fat Boy wasn’t equipped with a radio and we didn’t think to bring one to hear the countdown so when our cell phones read 4:50PM I got into position to take the money shot. If the thing blew up after take off we would have had a fireball behind the Fat Boy. I waited with finger on the shutter release button and Marcus kept his eyes on the horizon for the first telltale signs of the launch. Finally Marcus screams, “There it goes!” and I kept shooting the bike and the faint missile trail behind the bike as the shuttle headed to outer space.

It was a successful launch but not very photogenic. A dusk launch would have been spectacular, but I ain’t in charge of choreographing the show. I finished shooting the bike and we headed back to see what we got. I sent a quick photo of the bike and the shuttle trail off to the office in El Paso, Texas, so they ‘d have a idea of the deal. I get an almost instant reply, “You cut off part of the front wheel.” WTF, the thing was moving at thousands of miles per hour and anyway I had more shots for this article.