9/12/2023 0 Comments Space shuttle cockpit xplane 11Inside the hall itself, there are several simulators: a couple of procedural simulators, a fixed base simulator, which is used for flight training but which doesn’t physically move and my ride for the morning, the motion base simulator. A full-up integrated mission simulation might have hundreds working on it in Houston, Moscow and Florida. The simulator group employs 135 people in total but our flight only needed five operators. They look more like the offices of bond dealers with lots of screens and expensive swivel chairs. These are not vast mission control rooms you see on films. I was shown the various control rooms where the instructors and technicians run the simulations – not just the Shuttle, but also the International Space Station sim. After a short wait, my escort arrived and took me to the simulator hall. Also waiting were two Texas rangers with their distinctive ten gallon hats and creased denim uniforms and a dozen fighter pilots in full Top Gun outfits. This is my review of the world’s ultimate flight simulator.Īided by jet lag, I pitched up at the security office to be badged at the unreasonable hour of 7am. Can you be here at 8am on Wednesday?’ Since the thing is in use 16 hours a day, every day of the week I didn’t want to miss my chance and so I was on the plane to Texas two days later. It took six months to set up the clearances, but one Friday, I got a call from the Public Affairs Office in Houston: ‘we have a free slot with your name on it. Tired of X-Plane? Had enough of Flight Simulator 2002? Want the ultimate flight simulator? Well, how about NASA’s unique Space Shuttle simulator at the Johnson Space Centre? Used to train every Shuttle commander and pilot and to rehearse missions, the sim occasionally has some unallocated time and NASA uses this to give VIPs including Tom Hanks, Bill Clinton and Charles Schultz and not-so-distinguished members of the press a chance to experience flying the Shuttle. If you want to fly the Shuttle today, I recommend X-Plane, F-SIM Space Shuttle or Orbiter. I’m sorry it’s over and I’m anxious and excited to see what’s next.īut in 2002, I got closer to it than I ever expected – I went to Houston and flew NASA’s full-motion Shuttle simulator. The Space Shuttle is my own personal space programme. And just a couple of days ago, I watched the Shuttle land from its last mission. I made my family interrupt a holiday in France so I could listen to the launch of the first Space Shuttle mission. I was born in the same year as Apollo 11. I’ve been a space enthusiast for as long as I can remember.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |