Virgin Galactic "White Knight 2" is currently at Gateway. Not sure when it is leaving, but keep an eye on FlightAware for the outbound flight plan - http://flightaware.com/live/airport/KIWA.
(http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3316/3641271495_b8b38b9aaf_b.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/24526864@N03/3641271495/"s%20Rocket%20Launcher%20by%20joe_stremph,%20on%20Flickr)
Joe-
That is really freakin' awesome! Keep me posted via email, I'll try to come out after work if she's still out there.
Heard from a guy who heard from an ops guy that the crew didn't want any photos of it on the cargo ramp and to hold off on posting photos of it on the ground until after it departs, so I've deleted my photo of it on the ground (even though it wasn't on the cargo ramp) to avoid any friction with Gateway ops.
We sort of made the news on this. Glad I read Joe's post; I was about to post a shot or two. Nice to see that we all are complying with the request of no pictures of her while on the ground. Can't wait for her departure.
Here's a link to the article on Azcentral.com (not sure if I'm pasting the link correctly): http://www.azcentral.com/community/mesa/articles/2009/06/19/20090619mr-whiteknight0620.html
Dave
Space plane makes forced landing in Mesa Friday (http://www.azcentral.com/community/mesa/articles/2009/06/19/20090619mr-whiteknight0620.html)
by Art Thomason - Jun. 19, 2009 03:55 PM
The Arizona Republic
Gateway airport spokesman Brian Sexton said WhiteKnight Two departed Mohave, Calif., airport Friday morning and headed to Las Cruces, where Branson plans to base the world headquarters for Spaceline Virgin Galactic when it begins operating commercially in 2012.
Shortly after the plane landed in Mesa, several photographers who track test aircraft stood on a knoll just outside a chain-link security fence holding cameras with long telephoto lenses.
Sexton said Virgin Galactic officials and the aircraft's pilots asked that no photographs be taken of the plane.
But airport officials had no authority to prevent photography, he said, as long as photographers didn't enter the airport's secured areas.
From Twitter:
@Virgin_Galactic
WhiteKnightTwo will be flying over Las Cruces airport tomorrow morning weather permitting.
I'm planning on being out at IWA around 7am (I'll head to the "knoll" first). I'll keep this thread updated via my BlackBerry.
Joe - Have you licensed your image to the Republic yet? In exchange for 'Media' credentials?
;D
Quote from: Dave S. on June 19, 2009, 05:17:25 PM
We sort of made the news on this.
I was contacted by 3TV, they were looking for "
several photographers who track test aircraft" that "
stood on a knoll just outside a chain-link security fence holding cameras with long telephoto lenses." I forwarded the email to Joe, and he contacted the producer.
Just found this on Twitter:
Virgin Galactic's WhiteKnightTwo is scheduled to make a flyover at the Las Cruces airport 9:30 a.m. Saturday.
Joe,
I like your style! Will be interesting to see if your new friend at Flightglobal tries to contact you to 'clarify' things.
See you in the AM. I'll be there just as soon after my run as I can, probably around 6:30 or so. Anyone showing up earlier?
Dave
Matt and I are shooting for being out there around 0630 as well. PM inbound.
All,
Confirming Matt's info he found on Twitter, they are expecting WK2 to arrive at around 9:30.
http://www.spaceportamerica.com/news/press-releases/245-virgingalacticmothershipflyoverlascruces.html
Dave
I am going to try to make it around 6:45->7am range.
Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport
June 20, 2009
(http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3620/3644699109_bf91aa9c0f_b.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/matthewphx/3644699109/)
VMS Eve
Really shows off the eyeball design to good effect.
Nice work, Matt.
Nice shot Matt. Nice meeting you guys out there, I started on the grassy knoll and was thinking where the heck is everyone?
Hopefully it won't be the last time we all shoot together.
John
Quote from: Joe Copalman on June 20, 2009, 07:36:03 PM
Really shows off the eyeball design to good effect.
Nice work, Matt.
Thanks Joe. I think it's a great perspective on the aircraft, but the sun really lit up the white of the fuselage (not too happy about that). I'm still pretty jealous of the approach shot you got!
Quote from: jsch333 on June 20, 2009, 10:24:20 PM
Nice shot Matt. Nice meeting you guys out there, I started on the grassy knoll and was thinking where the heck is everyone?
Hopefully it won't be the last time we all shoot together.
John
Thank you! It was nice to meet you too, and I hope to shoot with you again soon. I'm glad we were able to be in contact and get you over to where we were.
Keep an eye on the boards, we try to organize something about once per month (we'll see how that goes during the hot Summer months).
Dave's contribution from Saturday morning's departure. I hadn't realized the main gear did not have doors/fairings over them after retraction. Hmm, go Burt!
Awesome.
Quote from: Dave S. on June 21, 2009, 02:38:35 PM
Dave's contribution from Saturday morning's departure. I hadn't realized the main gear did not have doors/fairings over them after retraction. Hmm, go Burt!
The nose gear doesn't have doors/fairings either, it's just harder to see because of the black paint.
I've been looking through the Mojave thread on the APSoCal (http://www.apsocal.com/index.php/topic,177.105.html) site and it looks like the crew of WK2 did a fair amount of showboating at both Las Cruces and at Mojave (arrived during Mojave's airshow and did a low pass before coming back and landing).
Apparently, nobody at either airport got the "Here's one of the most interesting and unique aircraft in the history of manned flight, but don't take any pictures of it" treatment. Good for them.
White Knight 2 on the ground at Willie:
(http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3643/3656667199_54465e2c40_b.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/24526864@N03/3656667199/)
I found her again, but this time I went to her!
The morning we were getting the B-17 ready to depart Mojave for Fox Field we noticed White Knight pulled out of her hangar and parked on the ramp. We walked over to take a look and some photos, and there was WK2 sitting in the hangar. They wouldn't let us go inside, but we were allowed to take photos from outside the hangar.
This hangar is smaller than the one she was built in, so they had to cut off her wingtips. The wingtips now bolt on.
They are currently building five SpaceShipTwos, and plan to begin flight testing them with WhiteKnightTwo early next year.
I'll get some photos posted of the original White Knight soon.
Cool that you got to see WK and WK2 at Mojave.
The flight demo of WK2 at OSH was very impressive. A couple from same:
(http://jcbeckman.zenfolio.com/img/v5/p54797469-4.jpg)
(http://jcbeckman.zenfolio.com/img/v3/p125265430-4.jpg)
Hello everyone!
Guess I should probably start out by introducing myself.....even though most of you probably already know me from Gateway. Anyways, now that most people have forgotten that this bird came through in June of last year, I guess now it is OK to post this shot. It was shot on the morning of June 20, 2009 at 7:10AM when this awesome bird was taxiing out. This was shot on Kodachrome 64 slide film and was scanned a few days ago. Hope at least someone enjoys this angle...
As long as we seem to be revisiting White Knight Two, here is one from 31 July, 2009 at EAA/AirVenture, Oshkosh
Except I forgot to include this