When we first met Dave Williams in 1992, his final interview as a potential Canadian Astronaut was scheduled for the following morning. His wife Cathy, hosting the Ninety-Nines’s Spring Section meeting, mentioned that Dave had asked her how she would feel about his going up in Space -her response was "You get the job, then we’ll talk about it!". A recent article in the Ottawa Citizen revealed that Cathy had actually suggested to Dave in the 1980’s that he apply, inspired by a talk given by Marc Garneau at Rockcliffe Flying Club. 

After having beat out almost 5,300 other applicants and having completed extensive training and preparations, Dave Williams became a Mission Specialist, the top classification of astronauts. His mission STS-90, also known as "Neurolab", was scheduled for April 2, 1998 and was targeted at many significant scientific experiments. Subsequent events caused the schedule to be moved back two weeks until April 16th. 

Hundreds of Dave and Cathy’s friends, family and peers turned out at the Kennedy Space Centre to share in the excitement of the planned launch and to cheer as the Space Shuttle Columbia launched into space. The Ninety-Nines were well represented with numerous attending from the Montreal Chapter, Eastern Ontario Chapter, First Canadian Chapter, and Maple Leaf Chapter. Barbara Mead and her husband Richard Lawrence came down from NJ to share in the adventure as well. What a great opportunity to renew friendships and share in a truly exceptional flying experience! 

Most had arrived Tuesday, to permit participating in the tours and receptions organized by the Canadian Space Agency. Wednesday, April 15th was an action-packed day for the guests, starting with bus tours around Cape Canaveral, including a stop at the launch pad. An informative and entertaining briefing followed, about the Mission and the preparations starting from the point when the Shuttle had previously landed, the work required to prepare it for flight again, the actual launch sequence, and also an overview of the scientific experiments. The experiments use a bus-sized medical lab called the "Spacelab", and involved a huge quantity of insects, fish and rodents. The 16-day mission will look at sleep disorders, depth perception is different in Space, and why 50% of all astronauts suffer nausea in space -all important issues when faced with the new International Space Station to be put into space early in the 21st century. The excitement of the Mission was contagious to the audience, caught up on the count down to the actual launch. Cathy Fraser’s afternoon reception included a movie "To be an Astronaut", which made the audience feel as if they were actually inside the Shuttle -the flight simulation scenarios played out on the Astronauts made most other simulators look tame! During the evening reception, Cathy shared a message from Dave with the guests, reflecting on the unique experiences/opportunities offered by NASA/CSA and thanking everyone concerned for making it possible. 

The morning of the planned launch proved to be absolutely perfect weather-wise, but a failed backup communications processor resulted in the cancellation of that day’s launch. Disappointed guests quickly found alternative but fun plans for the day, sun-bathing, walking along the ocean beaches, sleeping, shopping and relaxing. 

The next day we were picked up and delivered to the "Static Test" spectators area, just outside the restricted 3.5 mile "circle" which is off limits to all persons. Waiting time quickly passed as we waved our Canadian flags, applied sun tan lotion, listened to the sound system keeping us informed about what was happening with the launch sequences, etc. At 2:19, the steam first appeared signaling the ignition of the solid rocket launchers and before we knew it the Shuttle had left the earth quickly accelerating, creating an amazingly beautiful picture, like a comet with a blazing golden tail. Within 8 seconds, the Shuttle was already exceeding 100 MPH, with a thrust equivalent to 200 DC 9’s! The noise was surprisingly low, but we could feel the ground vibrations from the enormous engine powers. On board, the vibrations prevented even the simple act of writing - this doesn’t let up until the boosters separate from the Shuttle! The breaking through the sound barrier was fascinating, proving to be an intermittent, rather than a continuous, roar. Even 50 miles up and 100 miles down-range, the Shuttle remained clearly visible to the audience, reluctant to return to "earthly matters". Watching a space launch in person is an unique experience - highly recommended for any person interested in Space. For most persons, there was only one place they would rather have been -flying on their back in a "pumpkin" suit aboard the Columbia!