I used to do maintenance on the shuttle carriers when Evergreen had the contract. The interior was gutted. The structure that tied the shuttle to the airframe was impressive.
We knew the shuttle was going to land at Dulles Airport and would be flying around northern Virginia and Maryland for about an hour before landing,it went over my house twice before it landed.I miss seeing the Concord come into Dulles that was an awesome sight.All planes flying into Dulles come over my house,the day after 9/11 it was very quiet here for two weeks.
JJ