I just watched this video highlighting Virgin Galactic’s recent test flights. Even knowing about success after success in these flights, I found myself in awe! Consider this the ultimate valentine! You might even see Cupid!
KCTV5, the CBS affiliate station in Kansas City aired this segment:
Sometimes a person gets lucky and sometimes there’s double luck! The Kansas City Star featured a story about me representing Sir Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic. Great ego fluff for me and mega special for Great Getaways! Post 1 in the Luck Column!!!
The second stroke of luck was getting to meet Lee Hill Kavanaugh, a features writer for the Kansas City Star. She is a delight and oh so interesting! A multi-degreed talent, Lee spent a few years sailing the oceans aboard some legendary cruise ships, entertaining guests with her music. She and her artist, musician husband, have two children.
Lee is a woman of many interests and passions and I look forward to getting to know her better. Here’s her story about me, which was prominently placed on the FRONT PAGE, by the way:
Click on the link below to read Lee’s story about my passion for space travel and Virging Galactic:
http://www.kansascity.com/2012/01/07/3358123/leawood-travel-adviser-offers.html#storylink=cpy
In 2009 I attended the gala unveiling of Virgin Galactic’s Spaceship, the VSS Enterprise. 850 people from around the world gathered in Mojave, California to be part of that historic moment, the beginning of a new frontier of the consumer travel industry. As the mother ship, with the spaceship securely attached, rolled into the viewing area, I remember the whole crowd became silent, in anticipation and awe. When Governors Schwarzenagger and Richardson joined Sir Richard Branson in christening the ship, the crowd erupted in cheers and applause. Tears rolled down my cheeks as I realized I was experiencing a significant milestone in history. Years from now, when my toddler-aged grandsons are older and space travel more commonplace, I hope the boys will brag, “My grandma was at the christening of the first consumer spaceship!” Then again, by that time, rather than the exception, people traveling in Space will be the norm and its beginning might be a long-ago faded memory. How cool would that be? Either way, Virgin Galactic gave me an incredible life experience. Now, if I sell 10 flights, I’ll be eliglble to fly aboard Virgin Galactic! Ready to be part of my group of 10?
What are your thoughts about Space flight?
Ready to see the world from a different perspective? Let me help you reserve a seat aboard a Virgin Galactic’s Suborbital Space flight! Talk about a gift that will be remembered!
Below is a video of the recent dedication ceremony at Spaceport America in New Mexico. Enjoy!
Watch a video of the latest test flights! Every time I watch it, I get so excited! By the way, did you know that the Virgin Galactic Hanger Facility at Spaceport America was recently dedicated? Remember, if you want to experience a suborbital space flight aboard Virgin Galactic, contact me, Barbara@greatgetaway.com
The test program for WhiteKnight2, the VMS Eve, is escalating with approximately 2 test flights per week. Here are the key achievements:
Flown to 45,000ft
Flown 6.1 hours in a single flight
Pulling g’s at altitude up to 2.5g’s
Practiced putting the wheels up and down at various altitudes and speeds
Practiced a stall – meaning they shut down the engines and re-start them inflight.
Flown to a peak speed of 340 KTAS with the landing gear both up and down. This is approximately 630kph/390mph
For those interested KTAS stands for Knots True Air Speed and measures the speed of an aircraft relative to undisturbed air. You can find out more about this on Wikipedia.
Virgin Galactic’s Mothership Eve, also known as WhiteKnightTwo, will make its world debut at EAA AirVenture 2009 when it arrives Monday, July 27 as part of the opening day air show. Virgin Galactic and Scaled Composites, the designers of WhiteKnightOne and SpaceShipOne, which won the $10 million X-Prize in 2005, will fly the space launch vehicle into Wittman Regional Airport on July 27. Visitors to the Experimental Aircraft Association’s annual convention will be able to view the aircraft up close on the AirVenture grounds through Saturday, Aug. 1.
The aircraft will depart on Saturday, Aug. 1, but only after it flies as part of the day’s air show. Virgin Galactic officials also hope to arrange showcase flights during the week.
