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This page is to inform the viewer about our island. The page also provides links to a few of our many web pages. Look to Site Map for best navigation on the site.

We are interested in space flight. Since we live on the island where space flight began and continues we have included, for your information, the local NASA and CCAS launch dates and information.

A partial list of, and links to, our other web pages is included here.

Awards and memberships are displayed in last section of the page.

Many of the pages on this Web Site are large and are therefore slow to load.

MERRITT ISLAND

This is the Official Web Page of the Odell family

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Page History

Page Was Created: 02/08/97

Last Improvement: 12/16/02 03/19/03 08/28/03 11/05/03 02/03/04 05/20/04 06/14/04 10/09/04 11/11/04 12/28/04 01/06/05 01/25/05 02/21/05 03/14/05 05/08/05 05/25/05 06/25/05 09/05/05 09/22/05 03/01/07 02/03/08 04/23/08 02/11/09

Our home on south Merritt Island, Brevard County, Florida, USA.

We have lived here for many years. Our home is a Spanish style, Saltbox (sideways), and it is very comfortable to live in.

The blue star on the map of central Florida (see below) marks the approximate location of our home.

Merritt Island is a typical sub-tropical island. Vegetation tends to grow low and dense in the near sea level soil. Much of the land is composed of various types of sand and will not support the growth of tall trees. Palm trees do grow well and we are surrounded by many varieties of palms. This area is the home of the "Indian River Orange." Orange groves are very common here and both of us love the oranges. While this area is almost never the actual landfall for hurricanes we still experience strong winds and heavy rains. During the summer months we are on a storm track of large thunderstorms and this area is often referred to as the "Lightning Capital of The World." You can see that living here has some good features and some bad.

To the north of the island on the main-land is orange groves and wilderness. To the east is the Banana River and Cocoa Beach. To the south is Melbourne Beach. To the west is the Indian River and the city of Cocoa. Merritt Island divides the Indian River and the Banana River. In truth, both rivers are not rivers at all, but are parts of a large lagoon that extends from Titusville, Florida to Miami, Florida.

NASA owns the northern part of the island and most of it is used as a US Wild Life Refuge. If you have been to the Space Port Visitors Center then you have visited the island. If you have watched a space shuttle launch on TV then you have seen the north end of the island. Much of the southern part of the island has been developed for human habitation.

The island community is diverse in race, culture and wealth. One of the largest churches in central Florida is located on the island. The First Baptist Church is a village in its self. Betty and I live near the church, but we are not Baptist. There are also many other denominations present on the island.

There is a shopping mall and many, perhaps too many, strip malls. The business district is undergoing a revitalization at this time. This rebuilding includes many very good, franchised, restaurants. The main highway between Cocoa City on the main land and Cocoa Beach City on the outer island has been widened and much of the traffic problem caused by transit across Merritt Island to and from the beaches has been resolved.

The primary employer on the island is the US Government. The NASA Space Port resides on the north end of the island. The requirements of space shuttle support creates many technical and non-technical jobs. There is very little turn-over of employees, so do not rush here to get a job. The second largest employer is Patrick Air Force Base and its missile test range support contracts. Patrick Air Force Base is located just south of Cocoa Beach on the barrier island. Patrick Air Force Base is the "I Love Genie place" of television fame. There are many other smaller entities in the employment market such as Sea Ray Boats. Sea Ray Boats has 3 factories on the island, all located in a single contiguous area, and is a major source of employment. There are too many others to continue listing them.
 

CURRENT WORLD AND NATIONAL NEWS
 

......Florida Today Newspaper. A virtual visit to the Space Coast of Florida. (Link tested 02/23/07)

......Various Web Cams located along the Space Coast of Florida. (Link tested 02/03/07 No good)

......Brevard County on-line magazine. Many subjects of interest to both locals and tourist. (Link tested 02/23/07)

......Space information. Space Vehicle launch schedules. Countdown clock and mission updates for the current Space Shuttle mission. Both manned and unmanned missions are available on the site. Video of the last STS mission is also available on the site. (Link tested 02/23/07)

WEB SITE INDEX (Partial List)

......Aviation. I began flying in 1947 as a child. First licensed 1957. My love of airplanes has brought me into contact with a wonderful group of people. This page presents a view of a few airplanes that have brought happiness into my life. This page also links to a short history of Mr. David Thurston and his airplane designs. (Link tested 02/23/07)

......Camping. Frank and Betty are both avid campers. Betty is fanatical about getting outdoors. Frank likes to be outdoors, but it is nice to have air-conditioning available. Spending time in an RV on the beach, with a sea breeze blowing and fishing is just a step away is as good as it gets. (Link tested 02/23/07)

......Sunfish sail boat. The fish is the most produced boat in the world. Where did they go? Alcort stopped making them and it seems most of the existing boats evaporated. There is a new manufacturer? Mine has extra equipment (jib) that I can install if not racing --- and is anyone racing these days?  Also a Sunfish history page is in this section of the site. (Link tested 02/23/07)

......Submarines. Thirty four years testing submarines and weapons systems. A strange kind of life. View missile launches and new systems that are used in today's submarines. (Link tested 02/23/07)

Me when I am cleaned up.

We like to hear from you, so send along a note.

This is an old picture.

Music is Welcome To My World and is a Midi file. It is set to loop forever.

Page 2 contains the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station (CCAS) and Kennedy Space Center (KSC) launch schedule. A link to a Real Time, Count Down Time Clock (CDT) that is provided by NASA is available on the page.  Also, personal opinions (not that any one cares) is located there and maybe other stuff to.

The old man as he is today.

Retired and casual are the Orders of The Day.  Florida comfort is my new way of living.  T-shirt, shorts and sandals are my complete uniform these days.

 This is one of the few pictures of me taken in the last several years.  I am not camera shy, it is just no one cared to take my picture for a while. 

My trip through life has been fantastic, but is running out of gas.  The problem is, I still have places to go and things to do.  I want to visit Germany and England and I can't wait to see how that comes about.  No plans, just wants.

I miss the technology and people of the Silent Service.  Glad I lived that life and sorry I can not revisit those times.

Also miss the aviation people I have been privileged to know.  And of course miss the aircraft.  Can not revisit those times either.  Teaching basic flying was one of many high points in my life.

For my friends -- I am still laughing, joking, but not smoking.  Gave up booze, cigarettes, cigars, and routiness many years ago.  Maybe I am not so old, it just seems like it.

Take time to watch the wind and keep your sails trimmed, because blow-downs are far too much trouble to recover from.  Hope you enjoy the rest of this web site. --Frank--