I also saw it launch from 130 miles away east of VAFB. It was still dark here, in the western sky. I watched with 8x56 binoculars and recorded it with a camcorder mounted to the side of the binoculars. It was slated to launch at 5:37:52 AM PST with a 5 sec. window. Having seen a few VAFB Delta II launches from that same location in my neighborhood, I knew what to expect. But, I almost was faked out, thinking it had not launched because it was about 45 sec. after the launch time before I saw the small bright orange flame-streak rise over the top of a low tree on the horizon. Its trajectory curved it in the usual southerly direction. After acquiring with the binoculars, I did not look at the watch anymore but am using a published launch sequence of events to tie in with my observations. The orange flame- streak continued until about 2:10 into the launch when the 3 air-lit SRM's burned out. Then it just became an orange point of light and flickering sparks were intermittently seen behind it for a few seconds. These sparks were, of course, the 3 SRM's after jettison. The orange point of light (main rocket) at first had no contrail but gradually showed a contrail which over the next min. or so got brighter and thicker. When the contrail (or plume) got the thickest and brightest, the beginning of it had a proportion which reminds me of the same curve and wideness as the shape of a blimp. The plume was being produced by the main engine, which at this time, was a bright white point of light. At main engine cutoff (MECO) the point of light suddenly diminished in intensity and the plume production was suddenly halted. This happened at 4:20 into the launch. At this time the rocket is about SW of my viewpoint. As it got farther away, what I saw were several points of white light grouped side-by-side flickering and then gradually fading from view. Now, I don't understand why it was several points instead of just one but that is what I saw. Referring back to the wide plume, I believe the sun was still just slightly too far below the horizon for the plume to catch direct sun rays. The white plume was high enough to receive scattered twilight only. It is this wide, blimp- shaped plume (with a narrowing plume trailing behind) that will catch the attention of average folk and sometimes result in much media coverage after the event. This is especially true if the launch occurs a bit after sunset and thus this plume is backlit by sun rays from the just set sun in the evening when more people are out in the much populated southern California area. I recorded the Boeing satellite launch feed on one VCR and the local KNBC-TV live news program on another VCR. In reviewing the KNBC tape, it was interesting that they covered the launch, after it was under way, with a live telephoto shot from their news helicopter showing about 50 sec. before, and up to just after the 3 air-lit SRM's burnout and separation. -- Jake Rees Burbank, California