Huntsville native pilots Endeavour to CA - WAFF-TV: News, Weather and Sports for Huntsville, AL

After two weather-related delays, the space shuttle Endeavour took off for its ferry flight to California early Wednesday morning.

The shuttle will make stops at several NASA facilities before landing in Los Angeles where it will be on display at the California Science Center.

The Endeavour is bolted on top of a 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft that will carry it during the flight.

One of the pilots escorting the Endeavour during the flight is Huntsville native Jeff Moultrie. His mother, Colleen, said she is excited her son has the opportunity.

Moultrie, now a Madison resident, said her son began taking flying lessons when he was 15-years-old. She recalled the first time he flew over their home in a non-commercial airplane.

"He told me, ‘I'm coming and flying over the house and so you can watch for me.' I went out, heard him coming and I could see him waving at me," Moultrie said.

She said her son has gone on several ferry-assisted flights before, but Moultrie will not see her son fly over Huntsville during Endeavour's flight.

It will fly low over several NASA facilities en route to California, but the Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville is not one of them.

Jennifer Stanfield, spokesperson for the Marshall Space Flight center, said Huntsville is just north of the direct route from Florida to California.

Standard operations are very rigorous in the ferry flight and the primary mission is to get the shuttle safely to California, according to Stanfield. She said fly-overs are only acceptable if it was on the flight path.

Moultrie said she's disappointed that the shuttle will not fly over Huntsville but is glad her son is part of the journey.

"We would have loved to have had it over Huntsville and other people too. Especially the ones who have worked on this shuttle," Moultrie said.

The Endeavour will make stops in Houston and Edwards Air Force Base in California before it arrives at his permanent home in Los Angeles Friday.

Copyright 2012 WAFF. All rights reserved.