LOS ANGELES, April 24, 2019 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- History was made this month in the Mojave Desert in California. The Stratolaunch took flight for the first time on Saturday, April 13, for two and a half hours over the Mojave. According to the website of late Seahawks owner Paul Allen, the world's largest aircraft flew for two and a half hours and achieved a maximum speed of 189 miles per hour and an altitude of 17,000 feet.
Big airplanes require big vision, so it isn't surprising to learn the Stratolaunch was the brainchild of Paul Allen, the billionaire co-founder of Microsoft. Like Richard Branson, he was bullish on launching rockets from planes like the Stratolaunch instead of relying on ground launches.
"I actually got to see this airplane in the hangar last year while it was still being built," states Brett Vance, host of the new Jet Jockeys TV series, "I was at a course at the National Test Pilot School at the Mojave Air and Space Port and we took an afternoon after flying to get a tour. This aircraft is absolutely immense. Standing in the hangar, you can't see the whole airplane from any single location. You have to hoof it around the place to get the whole view. We even got a chance to climb up into the cockpit to see that part of the construction."
Vance being surprised by a plane is something that doesn't happen often. The TV host has had a decorated career as a military fighter pilot and test pilot, and Jet Jockeys is his newest exciting venture. The docu-reality series involves values such as leadership and bravery, and Vance does for aviation enthusiasts what Mike Rowe of Dirty Jobs has done for the dignity of the trades and what Neil de Grasse Tyson of Cosmos has done for our sense of wonder about the universe. The sacrifices, accomplishments, and challenges of pilots are front and center in each episode, and leadership and bravery are commonly addressed.
The Stratolaunch was founded in 2011 by Paul Allen in an effort to design an aircraft suited for airport-style operations to ultimately make access to space "more convenient, affordable, and routine." The wingspan of the Stratolaunch is greater than the length of a football field. The aircraft can essentially act as a "mobile launch platform that can support multiple launch vehicles, weighing up to a total of 500,000 pounds."
Jody Allen, Chair of Vulcan Inc. and trustee of the Paul G. Allen Trust made a comment on the successful flight, saying, "We all know Paul would have been proud to witness today's historic achievement… the aircraft is a remarkable engineering achievement and I congratulate everyone involved."
This successful mission truly is a notable milestone in aviation and engineering. "When we first heard about this aircraft a few years ago, we made jokes that it would be like two 747s glued together. Nope, it's bigger," jokes Vance, "This is a purpose-built airplane designed for launching big rocket payloads, over and over again."
The Stratolaunch's flight is revolutionary, but plane enthusiasts may still have to wait a little while before they get a chance to ride. After that, a surge of similar projects might be coming in the next decade. "Reusability and rapid turn times keep operating costs down. Expect a significant period of continued flight test, after which Stratolaunch will be fully operational, concludes Vance, "and watch for other companies out there to be doing similar activities… this is a growing industry!"
SOURCE Jet Jockeys
Share this article