Poor Man's Space Shuttle ride!

[alexpimienta]

Whats the closest that I could ever come to actually experiencing a Shuttle launch?. As I write this Endeavour is getting ready to perform a de-orbit burn and come back home for the last time. This leaves only one shuttle ride left (Atlantis) and my name is not in the crew list, so that got me thinking...

I've been learning Space Shuttle Mission with the Vuzix VR90 lenses for a few months now and it has been an AMAZING thing! you get actual stereo 3D and head tracking, after a while you feel like you are really inside the Shuttle, the EVAs and the 3D views of the earth and orbital sunsets/sunrises are unreal!

The only thing missing for this to be as close as possible is to get the G forces, sound vibrations, etc and thats when it hit me!: Take SSMS in a laptop with the 3D/VR lenses on a commercial flight AND sync the shuttle launch with the plane takeoff! 

Of course (and I am aware) a plane taking off is not anywhere close to the experience of a shuttle launch in any and all terms, BUT the combination of lenses isolation and light blocking, the stereo 3D, the head tracking, the sound of the simulator and the sound vibrations and Gs of the real plane can add I think a new and exciting dimension to experiencing a shuttle launch via SSMS! Who knows? maybe I get lucky and the plane has to do a departure turn in sync with the Roll Program; and most plane takeoffs turn pretty quiet after a couple of minutes in sync with SRB separation

Whatever! I just want to try it out! I have a flight to Vegas this Saturday, I'll let you know how it works out.

A.

[Admin]

Great story alexpimienta,

However I suspect that the flight crew will not really like having somebody with funny goggles and a running laptop during liftoff - oops - takeoff

Make sure you "synchronize" this will them and the captain.

And do come back here and tell everybody how it went!

/Admin
PS: you should try the Shuttle Launch Experience at the KSC Visitor's Center. That's the closest any of us will ever get to feeling what a real Shuttle launch feels like from an Astronaut perspective.

[alexpimienta]

Well... I was hoping none of the close out crew and ASPs I mean "flight crew" would notice a little detail like a laptop on and a guy with pair of funny goggles, yet I don't know if there is any chance of pulling this off "on the level" other than stalking my flights captain on the lounge or something before the flight and explain to him in detail what I wish to accomplish and how, maybe the guy will also be a frustrated astronaut and go with it. Who knows! Maybe I get him to call out the roll program over the cabin speakers LOL!

But if there are constrains for launch the laptop can be closed with nothing on the display inside the carry on, the goggles are very small with just a cable running down the left side, so pretending to be asleep wearing dark classes while leaning on my left could pass for just that hopefully. Who knows, I really don't want to get in trouble or break any law but I also know that doing this would not harm the flight in any way.

I'll ask around to see how this could be done with the airline and crews ok. I'll let you guys know how it goes.

[Admin]

Sounds like a good plan to me. Just don't forget to inhibit the sleep sensor which is usually activated once the laptop cover is closed

/Admin

[alexpimienta]

Yes! thank you I have it covered. Also there will be a key combination to reactivate the display and another one to turn off the laptop ASAP.

We'll see how it all goes.

[Moonwalker]

However I suspect that the flight crew will not really like having somebody with funny goggles and a running laptop during liftoff - oops - takeoff

Actually it is not necessarily a mistake to call it lift off. Most people just don't know The velocity at which an airplane can "lift off the runway" is called, as it should be: Vlof (lift off) Take off actually means the entire process from brake release, acceleration through all V-speeds (which is more than just V1, Vr and V2 by the way) and lift off from the runway up to an altitude of 1500 feet AGL at which the aircraft, by standard definition, is in clean configuration (gear and flaps up).

Anyway, I like the idea. Sounds great and must really be a great feeling. And one can also sync the landing. Here in Germany I could do it when flying with Air Berlin. They offer sightseeing flights from time to time for just about 30 Euro, which even includes two low apporaches above local airports. And the best thing: they spool up the engines with brakes set, and after reaching the required thrust setting they release it! That would really give you a nice kick in the pants while snycronizing it with an SSM launch. Damn

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A93FlLkf7hM

[Gordo]

which is more than just V1, Vr and V2 by the way

But from an operational point of view there is only V1,Vr and V2. Pilots don't look at Vlof in their takeoff performance calculations.

an altitude of 1500 feet AGL at which the aircraft, by standard definition, is in clean configuration

Most airlines now use 1500 ft agl as the acceleration altitude or 4th segment climb, that is the altitude at which the aircraft accelerates (even flies nearly level if heavy) through its flap retraction schedule to the initial climb speed usually around 250 kts below 10,000 ft. At the completion of the 4th segment it is by definition in the enroute climb which is clean config.