The shuttle Endeavour, on its way to retirement at a Los Angeles science museum, flew from Houston to California atop a 747 jumbo jet Thursday, dropping down for low-altitude passes over communities along the way, including Tucson, home of Gabrielle Giffords and husband Mark Kelly, Endeavour’s last commander, before pressing on to a picture-perfect landing at Edwards Air Force Base.

The specially modified 747 and its 78-ton payload made a low pass over the fabled flight test center, about 100 miles north of Los Angeles, to give Air Force personnel, families and tourists a chance to see the orbiter in flight before swooping to a tire-smoking touchdown at 3:51p.m

For those looking for a good view, the shuttle is expected to fly over the following Southland locations around 11:30 am to 1pm:

• Malibu
• Santa Monica Pier (Lucky fans will see the flyover from the Ferris wheel)
• Venice
• Downtown Los Angeles
• California Science Center (Exposition Park)
• Getty Center
• Hollywood Hills
• Griffith Observatory
• Universal City Walk
• JPL Pasadena
• Anaheim
• Disneyland
• Boeing Plant (Seal Beach)
• Huntington Beach
• Proud Bird Restaurant (LAX)