This is a story about Stephen N. Frick, commander of the STS-122 that’s landing today at Cape Canaveral, Fla. Frick’s parents live in Foley.
Of course Neil and Charlotte Frick, the parents, will be staring and starry-eyed when the main wheels of the Atlantis touch down and the parachute unfolds in the back for braking power.
Of course they “went with him” before as parents everywhere do, waiting until the kids come home. The Islander spoke with the elder Frick last Sunday just before the Presbyterian Church convened and learned that Steve had been a pilot on the earlier STS-110 Flight in April of 2002. NASA has an audio-visual interviewing the parents who testified that Steve had always been curious about aviation and in his studies and activity was always “pushing the envelope” to get the most out of education and life’s experiences.
Steve has flown trainers up to F/A-18 Hornets. He was aboard the Saratoga in the Gulf War and flew 26 combat missions. He has logged over 4,000 hours in 36 different aircraft, and has over 370 carrier landings.
This present mission is a “parcel post’ delivery in that it delivers the European Space Agency’s Columbus Laboratory to the International Space Station. Now they’re coming home, and if the weather permits, Commander Steve Frick will be “greasing the bird onto the runway.”
