747-123 SCA question

[usn_skwerl]

as far as the return trip from KEDW to X68 (SLF), what are the airfields the SCA has to stop for fuel at? im assuming white sands, something in texas, and a last one in alabama?<br /><br />are there primarys and alternates? or just two or three that they must use?<br /><br />thanks for any input <img src="/images/icons/smile.gif" /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[3488]

Can the flight not be made with just one load of fuel, or does the low altitude for the flight back cause<br />too much air resistance?<br /><br />Andrew Brown. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font color="#000080">"I suddenly noticed an anomaly to the left of Io, just off the rim of that world. It was extremely large with respect to the overall size of Io and crescent shaped. It seemed unbelievable that something that big had not been visible before".</font> <em><strong><font color="#000000">Linda Morabito </font></strong><font color="#800000">on discovering that the Jupiter moon Io was volcanically active. Friday 9th March 1979.</font></em></p><p><font size="1" color="#000080">http://www.launchphotography.com/</font><br /><br /><font size="1" color="#000080">http://anthmartian.googlepages.com/thisislandearth</font></p><p><font size="1" color="#000080">http://web.me.com/meridianijournal</font></p> </div>

 

[jimfromnsf]

Low altitude

 

[jimfromnsf]

Not white sands. And they probably won't announce them

 

[usn_skwerl]

reason i ask is because i do flight simulator 2004, and theres a download available of the SCA. you have to "modify" it a little, but with a little work, you can get it to fly similar to the real thing, or reasonably close.<br /><br />i'd just like to know where theyve gone. two sources i just came across said it stops over (or at least has in the past) in barksdale, LA. and Dallas/Ft. Worth. would like to know other fields it has been, or would probably go. <img src="/images/icons/smile.gif" /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[CalliArcale]

The flight path will be decided on the fly (so to speak). A "pathfinder" aircraft (a C-9) flies ahead of the SCA to check weather, and if it finds something undesirable (mainly precipitation; they don't want to get the vehicle wet if they can avoid it) they will divert during the flight. Stops will generally be at various air force bases, although there was one time when they had to land at DFW due to weather. (My father-in-law was there, and got the cool task of providing security for it while it was on the ground. My brain tells me that was Atlantis, just back from delivering Galileo, but don't quote me without checking.)<br /><br />NASA does announce the route *barely* ahead of time. This isn't just for security reasons; the delay is because they don't decide where it's going until they have to, because they want to know exactly what the weather is doing. It's not like there's any real point in deciding until then anyway. I'm not sure where they make the route information known, though. Obviously they have to inform civil aviation authorities, just like any flight through commercial airspace, but I don't think they make a big deal out of it like they do with launches, so there's probably no press release. <br /><br />(A few corrections; see below. Also see below for much clearer information said much more concisely.) <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p> </p><p><font color="#666699"><em>"People assume that time is a strict progression of cause to effect, but actually from a non-linear, non-subjective viewpoint it's more like a big ball of wibbly wobbly . . . timey wimey . . . stuff."</em>  -- The Tenth Doctor, "Blink"</font></p> </div>

 

[jimfromnsf]

C-9 will be the pathfinder

 

[CalliArcale]

Thanks! At least I remembered that a cargo aircraft does the job. <img src="/images/icons/wink.gif" /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p> </p><p><font color="#666699"><em>"People assume that time is a strict progression of cause to effect, but actually from a non-linear, non-subjective viewpoint it's more like a big ball of wibbly wobbly . . . timey wimey . . . stuff."</em>  -- The Tenth Doctor, "Blink"</font></p> </div>

 

[jschaef5]

Thats kinda funny.<br /><br />I wonder if you need a sail plane rating to fly it also <img src="/images/icons/smile.gif" /><br /><br /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[jschaef5]

I want to get my sail plane rating next summer when I am out here for a much longer time period, however having the money to do it may be an issue. I also want to get IFR. I have a feeling these may end up having to be pushed back until I graduate. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[jimfromnsf]

Last time I looked air resistance is drag.

 

[jimfromnsf]

Don't know where you got your degree, if you even have one, but <br /><br />Air resistance is drag<br /><br />http://www.grc.nasa.gov/WWW/K-12/airplane/falling.html<br /><br />Basic aerodynamics.

 

[CalliArcale]

<blockquote><font class="small">In reply to:</font><hr /><p>security is a concern. They do not want any private pilots trying to take a look at the <br />SCA/Orbiter in flight.<p><hr /></p></p></blockquote><br /><br />Thanks. <img src="/images/icons/wink.gif" /> I guess that would be a problem, wouldn't it? <img src="/images/icons/wink.gif" /> I'll amend my post above to say "not *just* security". My main intent was to point out that they don't even know the route terribly far ahead of time. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p> </p><p><font color="#666699"><em>"People assume that time is a strict progression of cause to effect, but actually from a non-linear, non-subjective viewpoint it's more like a big ball of wibbly wobbly . . . timey wimey . . . stuff."</em>  -- The Tenth Doctor, "Blink"</font></p> </div>

 

[CalliArcale]

*mod hat on*<br /><br />Okay, no more cheap shots. I have been seeing an awful lot of those lately, and I will not tolerate it. Confine yourselves to the topic, please, and do not drag in disagreements from totally unrelated threads. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p> </p><p><font color="#666699"><em>"People assume that time is a strict progression of cause to effect, but actually from a non-linear, non-subjective viewpoint it's more like a big ball of wibbly wobbly . . . timey wimey . . . stuff."</em>  -- The Tenth Doctor, "Blink"</font></p> </div>

 

[usn_skwerl]

ok..lets try a different tangent...where have they landed?....or....whats the minimum runway length the SCA needs? <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[jimfromnsf]

FAA now has provisions for reentering vehicles

 

[usn_skwerl]

ah, excellent! thank you kindly!! thats a huge help. its a little cloudy crossing texas right now, but im presently just inside texas on my way to barksdale.<br /><br />much obliged! <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[scottb50]

"...since it does not have navagation lights or landing lights...." <br /><br />Which raises the question; Why doesn't it have navigation or landing lights. Since it was originally an American airplane, I seem to remember, it was produced with them.<br /><br />Is weight so critical they were removed? I would think it would be pretty hard to get all the wiring out which is the major source of weight anyway. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[rocketwatcher2001]

<font color="yellow">Why doesn't it have navigation or landing lights. Since it was originally an American airplane, I seem to remember, it was produced with them.</font><br /><br />I think he's talking about the orbiters. <img src="/images/icons/smile.gif" /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[Testing]

The space vehicle does not have nav lights. SCA does I believe. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[dougbaker]

too bad they don't stop in Colorado.<br />DIA (Denver International) has plenty of space.<br /><br />Anyway I did see an orbiter once in Colorado. It was I think the Enterprise (so just a test article) but it stopped at the old Denver airport (Stapleton) when I in my teens, so many years ago.

 

[jimfromnsf]

"Which raises the question; Why doesn't it have navigation or landing lights. Since it was originally an American airplane, I seem to remember, it was produced with them.<br /><br />Is weight so critical they were removed? I would think it would be pretty hard to get all the wiring out which is the major source of weight anyway."<br /><br />It is the orbiter that doesn't have lights not the SCA

 

[scottb50]

The Orbiter is attached to the 747, why does it need lights? <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[3488]

Good Point!!!!! <img src="/images/icons/laugh.gif" /><br /><br />Andrew Brown. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font color="#000080">"I suddenly noticed an anomaly to the left of Io, just off the rim of that world. It was extremely large with respect to the overall size of Io and crescent shaped. It seemed unbelievable that something that big had not been visible before".</font> <em><strong><font color="#000000">Linda Morabito </font></strong><font color="#800000">on discovering that the Jupiter moon Io was volcanically active. Friday 9th March 1979.</font></em></p><p><font size="1" color="#000080">http://www.launchphotography.com/</font><br /><br /><font size="1" color="#000080">http://anthmartian.googlepages.com/thisislandearth</font></p><p><font size="1" color="#000080">http://web.me.com/meridianijournal</font></p> </div>

 

[scottb50]

Obviously I read more into the post than was there. Why that would pertain to a ferry flight I don't know, which is what the thread is about. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>