SpaceShip One

[Gene Seibel]

Anyone else planning to go to Mojave to see Burt Rutan's ship fly?

http://www.scaled.com/projects/tierone/New_Index/news/062104.htm
--
Gene Seibel
Hangar 131 - http://pad39a.com/gene/plane.html
Because I fly, I envy no one.

[Brenor Brophy]

I going, I already got my Prior Permission to land on Sunday 6/20 at 4pm.
Couldn't miss history being made so close to home.

-Brenor



"Gene Seibel" > wrote in message
om...
> Anyone else planning to go to Mojave to see Burt Rutan's ship fly?
>
> http://www.scaled.com/projects/tierone/New_Index/news/062104.htm
> --
> Gene Seibel
> Hangar 131 - http://pad39a.com/gene/plane.html
> Because I fly, I envy no one.

I'm going. I'm taking Monday off from work so I can head out there the night
before. It'll be a long night, but worth it in my opinion. One thing I've
been wondering though - how big is this thing going to be? I envision it
either being a dozen people standing around at dawn, or the the biggest
event Mojave airport has ever seen. Any idea where it's going to fall
between those two extremes?

-Tony
Student Pilot



"Gene Seibel" wrote:
> Anyone else planning to go to Mojave to see Burt Rutan's ship fly?
>
> http://www.scaled.com/projects/tierone/New_Index/news/062104.htm
> --
> Gene Seibel
> Hangar 131 - http://pad39a.com/gene/plane.html
> Because I fly, I envy no one.

[Ben Jackson]

In article >,
Gene Seibel > wrote:
>Anyone else planning to go to Mojave to see Burt Rutan's ship fly?

I sooo wanted to go, but before it was announced I picked the 21st to
start a new job... Of all the days...!

--
Ben Jackson
>
http://www.ben.com/

[Gene Seibel]

Cool. Unfortunately, I am going to CA commercial, but this this has to
be a "do not miss".
--
Gene Seibel
Hangar 131 - http://pad39a.com/gene/plane.html
Because I fly, I envy no one.




"Brenor Brophy" > wrote in message >...
> I going, I already got my Prior Permission to land on Sunday 6/20 at 4pm.
> Couldn't miss history being made so close to home.
>
> -Brenor
>
>
>
> "Gene Seibel" > wrote in message
> om...
> > Anyone else planning to go to Mojave to see Burt Rutan's ship fly?
> >
> > http://www.scaled.com/projects/tierone/New_Index/news/062104.htm
> > --
> > Gene Seibel
> > Hangar 131 - http://pad39a.com/gene/plane.html
> > Because I fly, I envy no one.

[Steven P. McNicoll]

"Brenor Brophy" > wrote in message
. com...
>
> I going, I already got my Prior Permission to land on Sunday 6/20 at 4pm.
> Couldn't miss history being made so close to home.
>

History being made?

[Casey Wilson]

> wrote in message
...
> I'm going. I'm taking Monday off from work so I can head out there the
night
> before. It'll be a long night, but worth it in my opinion. One thing I've
> been wondering though - how big is this thing going to be? I envision it
> either being a dozen people standing around at dawn, or the the biggest
> event Mojave airport has ever seen. Any idea where it's going to fall
> between those two extremes?
>

Well, every motel room in Mojave has been booked for that date since
the day after the first press release. But then, there are only five motels.

[Casey Wilson]

"Steven P. McNicoll" > wrote in message
nk.net...
>
> "Brenor Brophy" > wrote in message
> . com...
> >
> > I going, I already got my Prior Permission to land on Sunday 6/20 at
4pm.
> > Couldn't miss history being made so close to home.
> >
>
> History being made?
>
As much as I hate feeding this troll....
Yes, Mr. McNicoll, history. History in the fact that this, if
successful, will be the first flight into the realms of NASA defined 'outer
space' by a civilian organization not subsidized by any government funding.
It won't be the last. And it even might lead to advances in aviation to the
benefit of us all.
While you, in your purile attempts for attention, want to create
animus, there are those of us who cheer the effort.
Way back when, I used to enjoy reading your posts. Some of them were
informative. Now, you pick petty arguments and contribute very little to
this small sector of the aviation community.

PLONK!!!!!

Warmest regards,

Casey Wilson
Freelance Writer and Photographer

[Steven P. McNicoll]

"Casey Wilson" > wrote in message
...
>
> As much as I hate feeding this troll....
> Yes, Mr. McNicoll, history. History in the fact that this, if
> successful, will be the first flight into the realms of NASA defined
'outer
> space' by a civilian organization not subsidized by any government
funding.
>

Swell, but why does that make it historically significant?

[Jack Allison]

> As much as I hate feeding this troll....

Ooooh, the "T" word...now you've done it Casey :-)


--
Jack Allison
PP-ASEL, IA Student

"When once you have tasted flight, you will forever walk the Earth
with your eyes turned skyward, for there you have been, and there
you will always long to return"
- Leonardo Da Vinci

(Remove the obvious from address to reply via e-mail)

[Jim Fisher]

"Steven P. McNicoll" > wrote in message
nk.net...
>
> "Casey Wilson" > wrote in message
> ...
> >
> > As much as I hate feeding this troll....
> > Yes, Mr. McNicoll, history. History in the fact that this, if
> > successful, will be the first flight into the realms of NASA defined
> 'outer
> > space' by a civilian organization not subsidized by any government
> funding.
> >
>
> Swell, but why does that make it historically significant?

Tell us, McNiacal, why is it not historically significant?

Why don't you just spit out what you're getting at?

--
Jim Fisher

[Steven P. McNicoll]

"Jim Fisher" > wrote in message
...
>
> Tell us, McNiacal, why is it not historically significant?
>
> Why don't you just spit out what you're getting at?
>

It's not historically significant because the feat has been accomplished
before. That it was previously done by the government is irrelevant.

Incidently, someone came into my workplace today (an electronics store here
in Southern CA) and idly asked me while he was getting a few things "you
keep up with what's going on at Mojave?" We got to talking about it, of
course. He said report has it that upwards of 30,000 people might be there.
Heh, cool.....


-Tony
Student Pilot


"Casey Wilson" wrote...
>
> tony wrote:
> > I'm going. I'm taking Monday off from work so I can head out there the
> night
> > before. It'll be a long night, but worth it in my opinion. One thing
I've
> > been wondering though - how big is this thing going to be? I envision it
> > either being a dozen people standing around at dawn, or the the biggest
> > event Mojave airport has ever seen. Any idea where it's going to fall
> > between those two extremes?
> >
>
> Well, every motel room in Mojave has been booked for that date since
> the day after the first press release. But then, there are only five
motels.
>
>

[Brian Burger]

On Mon, 14 Jun 2004, Steven P. McNicoll wrote:

>
> "Jim Fisher" > wrote in message
> ...
> >
> > Tell us, McNiacal, why is it not historically significant?
> >
> > Why don't you just spit out what you're getting at?
> >
>
> It's not historically significant because the feat has been accomplished
> before. That it was previously done by the government is irrelevant.

Now you really are trolling. Rutan & co are doing it with a fraction of
any goverment's resources, with a significantly different & new plane (&
tech), and hope to repeat the whole thing within 10 days (to win the
XPrize).

Brian.

[Steven P. McNicoll]

"Brian Burger" > wrote in message
a.tc.ca...
>
> Now you really are trolling. Rutan & co are doing it with a fraction of
> any goverment's resources, with a significantly different & new plane (&
> tech), and hope to repeat the whole thing within 10 days (to win the
> XPrize).
>

That's swell, but they're not developing any new technology or capability.

[Paul Sengupta]

"Nomen Nescio" ]> wrote in message
...
> -----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----
>
> From: (Ben Jackson)
>
> >I sooo wanted to go, but before it was announced I picked the 21st to
> >start a new job... Of all the days...!
>
> Call in "sick"! <g>
>
> Or show them you really got balls......call in "well"!
> Don't scoff. A friend did just that a few weeks ago.
>
> Friend: "Hey (boss), It's too nice a day out to come in and ruin it with
> work....I'm going fishin'"
>
> (10 seconds of silence)
>
> Boss: "Uh......, OK......, see you tomorrow."

Been there, done that. "It's a nice day, if there's nothing urgent
for me to do, I'm going flying".

Paul

[Jim Fisher]

"Steven P. McNicoll" > wrote in message >
> "Jim Fisher" > wrote in message
> ...
> >
> > Tell us, McNiacal, why is it not historically significant?
> >
> > Why don't you just spit out what you're getting at?
> >
>
> It's not historically significant because the feat has been accomplished
> before. That it was previously done by the government is irrelevant.

To you, perhaps. Not to the rest of us thinking individuals who've been
around since before the Apollo days. We recall that the first manned
mission outside the earth's atmosphere required a literal army of the best
minds in the world. It required the invention of enormously powerful
computers (with up to 16kb of RAM!) that could actually fit into a
suitcase-sized compartment. Only men with the "right stuff" as well as an
entire country behind them could participate.

Now? A few engineer-types in a warehouse out in the dessert are seriously
contemplating doing what, to me, still seems impossible . . . And may still
prove to be.

I'd call that "historic" but then, I'm not an idiot.

--
Jim Fisher

[Jack]

Steven P. McNicoll wrote:

> "Jim Fisher" > wrote...
>
>>Tell us...why is it not historically significant?
>
> It's not historically significant because the feat has been accomplished
> before. That it was previously done by the government is irrelevant.

Spoken like one who has given no thought to the difference between currently
inflated millions and 35 year old billions.

You'll notice some historical significance, I think, if a "private" group should
set off a nuclear device -- even though government entities have already done so.



Jack

[Jack]

Steven P. McNicoll wrote:


> ...they're not developing any new technology or capability.

How to explain then that they are the only ones (assuming success) that will
have done it?

Others could certainly have sailed to the new world (and probably did) using
Columbus' technology -- strange that they don't get much credit for it.

Perhaps hardware isn't the whole story, eh, when it comes to assessing capability?



Jack

[Brenor Brophy]

From the yahoo group: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mojaveairport/

-Brenor

From: "Alan Radecki" <akradecki@y...>
Date: Tue Jun 15, 2004 11:47 am
Subject: SpaceShipOne Daily update - 6/15



Hi all,

Starting today, I plan on sending out a daily update on the
activities surrounding the SpaceShipOne launch.

-The flight is scheduled to commence at 0630 Monday 6/21, however
that is dependent on weather. Should there be a weather delay, such
as winds, the folks at Scaled plan on waiting and launching as soon
as the weather permits, even if it stretches to the next day.
-The public will enter the airport from the main Airport Blvd
entrance off of Hwy 58. The airport will open at 3am, but it is
pretty much assumed around here that there will be so many people
showing up that the roads will be clogged. RVs will be permitted in
the day before, with reservations (661/824-2433). I know that there's
already 89 coming, some of whom are NASA folks who are bringing a
band and everything. Regular vehicles will be charged $10 entrance
fee (to help mitigate the huge cost of security that the airport has
to bear), and I can't remember the RV cost...check mojaveairport.com
for details. Don't try to avoid the traffic by coming in the back
entrances...these are for VIPs with passes and tenants with ID badges.
-There will be a TFR, and only aircraft with PPR numbers will be
permitted into the airspace, starting on Saturday, I believe. Again,
see mojaveairport.com for details.
-If you don't make it onto the airport, you'll still see the
firing...it'll be visible for miles.
-There will be food and consessions selling souveniers, with all
profits going to local charities.
-There will be a press conference 2 hours after the flight, at which
time the FAA will award the first ever Commercial Pilot's License
with Astronaut rating.

If you have any questions, post them to the group and I'll answer
them in the next day's message.

I'll be here starting Sunday afternoon, sleeping in the Mercy
quarters.

Alan

[G.R. Patterson III]

"Steven P. McNicoll" wrote:
>
> It's not historically significant because the feat has been accomplished
> before.

Using that logic, our invasion of Iraq is not historically significant. It's also
been done before.

George Patterson
None of us is as dumb as all of us.

[Steven P. McNicoll]

"Jim Fisher" > wrote in message
...
>
> To you, perhaps. Not to the rest of us thinking individuals who've been
> around since before the Apollo days. We recall that the first manned
> mission outside the earth's atmosphere required a literal army of the best
> minds in the world.
>

Well, the best minds in the USSR anyway.


>
> It required the invention of enormously powerful
> computers (with up to 16kb of RAM!) that could actually fit into a
> suitcase-sized compartment.
>

Interesting. Can you tell us more about Soviet computer technology of that
era?


>
> Only men with the "right stuff" as well as an
> entire country behind them could participate.
>
> Now? A few engineer-types in a warehouse out in the dessert are seriously
> contemplating doing what, to me, still seems impossible . . . And may
> still prove to be.
>

Impossible? How can you consider it impossible if it's already been done?

Those that are doing it today are using the knowledge that was gained by the
pioneering efforts over forty years ago.


>
> I'd call that "historic" but then, I'm not an idiot.
>

Yes you are.

[Steven P. McNicoll]

"Jack" > wrote in message
. ..
>
> Spoken like one who has given no thought to the difference
> between currently inflated millions and 35 year old billions.
>

Why does that matter?

[Steven P. McNicoll]

"Jack" > wrote in message
. ..
>
> How to explain then that they are the only ones (assuming success)
> that will have done it?
>

If they succeed, they wont be the only ones to have done it. I suggest you
examine the early days of space travel.

[Steven P. McNicoll]

"G.R. Patterson III" > wrote in message
...
>
> Using that logic, our invasion of Iraq is not historically significant.
> It's also been done before.
>

Bad analogy.

[gatt]

"Jim Fisher" > wrote in message
news:K5pzc.4424

> Tell us, McNiacal, why is it not historically significant?
>
> Why don't you just spit out what you're getting at?

I'll take a stab: "Attention."

-c

[Jim Fisher]

"Steven P. McNicoll" > wrote in message
ink.net...
>
> "Jim Fisher" > wrote in message
> ...
> >
> > To you, perhaps. Not to the rest of us thinking individuals who've been
> > around since before the Apollo days. We recall that the first manned
> > mission outside the earth's atmosphere required a literal army of the
best
> > minds in the world.
> >
>
> Well, the best minds in the USSR anyway.

And your point is what? That you know that the first man in space was a
Ruskie? I am truly impressed, McNiacle! Why, I bet you can even name the
first man on the moon if it weren't for the fact that the whole moon thing
was fake, huh?

> > It required the invention of enormously powerful
> > computers (with up to 16kb of RAM!) that could actually fit into a
> > suitcase-sized compartment.
> >
>
> Interesting. Can you tell us more about Soviet computer technology of
that
> era?

Umm, no I can't. Don't know a damn thing about 'em. I suppose that at the
time the first Ruskie went up There, "computers" on the ship were no more
than whiz-wheels or slide rules.

You point is?

> > Only men with the "right stuff" as well as an
> > entire country behind them could participate.
> >
> > Now? A few engineer-types in a warehouse out in the dessert are
seriously
> > contemplating doing what, to me, still seems impossible . . . And may
> > still prove to be.
> >
>
> Impossible? How can you consider it impossible if it's already been done?

"Seems impossible," igit.

> Those that are doing it today are using the knowledge that was gained by
the
> pioneering efforts over forty years ago.

Really?

--
Jim Fisher

[Michael 182]

It is amazing that someone who claims to be interested in aviation would not
see this as a historic event just because it has been, in some form,
accomplished before. The private funding source, small development team,
materials, aircraft design, unique rocket design, public involvement, and
goal of the project are all groundbreaking factors. Not to mention the
simple fact that it is being led by the most famous aviation designer alive
today.

I wish I could be there.


"Steven P. McNicoll" > wrote in message
nk.net...
>
> "Casey Wilson" > wrote in message
> ...
> >
> > As much as I hate feeding this troll....
> > Yes, Mr. McNicoll, history. History in the fact that this, if
> > successful, will be the first flight into the realms of NASA defined
> 'outer
> > space' by a civilian organization not subsidized by any government
> funding.
> >
>
> Swell, but why does that make it historically significant?
>
>

[lance smith]

"Steven P. McNicoll" > wrote in message et>...
> It's not historically significant because the feat has been accomplished
> before. That it was previously done by the government is irrelevant.

The actual flying/rocketing/technology part is nothing new. What is
historic is the people/process in which it was done. Similar to the
assembly line- everyone was making guns before Eli Whitney came along,
and plenty of people were cranking out cars before Henry Ford. They
changed the world, but the technical aspects of what they did could be
considered quite minimal.

-lance smith

[Brenor Brophy]

Today's update on SpaceShip One from Alan Radecki on the yahoo group:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mojaveairport/
-Brenor

Hi all,

The folks at MHV are continuing to get the various
sites ready for the influx of people, who seem to
already be arriving. Several RVs drove slowly down the
flightline.

The White Knight, which was doing a number of touch
and goes day before yesterday, was out doing
maintenance runs today.

Yesterday's update generated a couple of questions:
1-Can a person sleep in their car on the airport
overnight Sunday night? No. The general parking area
won't open till 3am. Only self-contained RVs will be
allowed on the airport overnight. There is a large
open lot across Hwy 58 from where big-rig trucks
usually overnight, and that might be an option. I do
understand, however, that a number of people plan on
lining up on the shoulder of 58 around midnight. Don't
know if they'll get chased away or not. There's a CHP
(California Highway Patrol, for you out-of-staters)
station adjacent to the airport, so they may be out in
force.
2-Is there any European live broadcasts planned? I've
no clue. AFAIK, there are a bunch of satellite trucks
scheduled to start arriving on Saturday, no idea who
they might be from. I have not heard of anyone
planning a live webcast, but you might want to check
at space.com to see if they're doing anything...I know
some of their folks will be here.

One caution to those planning on being here but aren't
used to life in the desert: BRING LOTS OF WATER! Even
at 7am, it's getting quite warm now, and you will get
dehydrated much faster than you'll realize. There will
be vendors selling water, but count on it being
pricey. Our rule of thumb out here: if you're not
peeing every couple of hours, you're not drinking
enough.

Other news:
-I haven't received confirmation yet, but my
understanding was that the FAA was supposed to issue
the airport the first ever civilian spaceport license
today. There's going to be about a 2 hour gap between
the flight and the offical press conference, and they
are tentatively planning to do a formal presentation
of the license during that time, and it should be
within view of the public viewing area.
-The public viewing area is set up southeast of the
new Taxiway Bravo (map is available at
mojaveairport.com ), at the approach end of Rwy 30, so
everyone will get an excellent view of the landing.
-When Burt came in for lunch at the Voyager Cafe
yesterday, he was all grins...looks like he's really
having a lot of fun with this.

Five days and counting!

Feel free to send questions....

Alan

[Jim Fisher]

"Michael 182" > wrote in message
news:0l1Ac.115638$Ly.79222@attbi_s01...
> It is amazing that someone who claims to be interested in aviation would
not
> see this as a historic event just because it has been, in some form,
> accomplished before.

. . . But then, you're not an idiot. ;)


--
Jim Fisher

[James M. Knox]

(lance smith) wrote in
om:

> The actual flying/rocketing/technology part is nothing new. What is
> historic is the people/process in which it was done. Similar to the
> assembly line- everyone was making guns before Eli Whitney came along,
> and plenty of people were cranking out cars before Henry Ford. They
> changed the world, but the technical aspects of what they did could be
> considered quite minimal.

Another good analogy... The Atlantic had been crossed by many times before
Lindberg, but his flight - by an individual, in a private aircraft built on
a relative shoe string - is the one (probably the only one that folks
outside aviation circles) that is remembered.

[Brenor Brophy]

Today's update on SpaceShip One from Alan Radecki on the yahoo group:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mojaveairport/
-Brenor

Hi all,

Not sure what the hitch is, but the designation of MHV as the first
commercial inland spaceport didn't happen by the FAA as expected
yesterday...stay tuned.

Regarding broadcasts and webcasts of the launch...CNN is reportedly
going to do a live broadcast, don't know if that'll reach Europe.
Local radio station KLOA FM 104.9 has the exclusive radio rights to
direct feed, and it now sounds as if they'll be live webcasting the
audio at http://www.kloafm.com/

There is now a map of the public parking area up on the the airport
site at http://www.mojaveairport.com/special-ops.htm

If you haven't seen it yet, Scaled has a FAQ on their site at
http://www.scaled.com/projects/tierone/june21faq.htm

There really is no other news to report this morning...it's a
gorgeous, if somewhat warm day...

Alan