Flying To Catch SpaceX Rocket Launch

Scott Manley
Scott Manley
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Published 2024-06-25
I live 250miles north of Vandenberg space force base, I can sometimes see launches under the right lighting conditions, but now I fly planes I have the option of getting a bit closer in a relatively short time compared to the hours and hours it would take to drive the distance. In addition the extra altitude would let me be above intervening clouds, and see further over the curvature of the Earth, potentialy to see the the entry burn which happens hundreds of miles downrange from the launch site.

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All Comments (21)
  • @MF-og1ct
    Talking to ATC can be the hardest part of GA flying imo. You just have to remember that they are there to help you, not out to get you.
  • @ilikebikesalot
    Watching a landing burn from far away and seeing the rocket disappear behind the horizon... flatearthers hate this trick! Amazing footage!
  • @RawBejkon
    It is amazing to see how you have changed from KSP Videos to a Pilot. I am so proud of you! I wish you all the best Scott! You are my Hero!
  • @lukelanyon-hogg
    I find myself wondering why more people don't do aerial photography / films of rocket launches, you make it all look so simple....
  • @Marksplaytime
    Sunsets so cool you need to climb up a couple thousand feet to see them again.
  • @wymans668
    I got to see this launch while sitting on my couch looking out my front window. But I do live in Rosarito Beach Mx. and I'm about 400 yards from the beach. What a show.
  • @gregsteele806
    Not QUITE the same as a pair of F-22s chasing a launch, but still very cool! 😁
  • @dondon6634
    You can see the Vandenberg launches here in Central Arizona when the twilight effect is operative. And since we are further east, the sky is darker and the rocket is quite bright even though it's fairly low on the horizon.😊
  • @espeterson522
    The view of launches from San Diego is great, we get to see stage separation and entry burn every time. Glad you were able to catch the entry burn, it's unbelievable how bright it is given how far away the booster is. Even down here, 200+ miles away, it's brighter than anything else in the sky.
  • @mccheesegaming9284
    This video seems like it describes what an absolutely perfect day in my mind would be, only thing missing is going to a car show
  • @origamihawk
    Scott is really living the dream lately, definitely well deserved
  • @pplusbthrust
    Nice job. Logistics well planed and executed. Not your typical private pilot Saturday 60 mile trip to a neighboring airport coffee-shop.
  • @rickj6348
    Talking on the radio to the tower is an art that needs practice. I am an AME and drive commercial jets around a busy international airport, and speaking with the tower is daunting at best. Other than some little mistakes, from what I could hear it sounded like you did pretty good.
  • @chuckygobyebye
    Pedant here: the portrait lens is the 100mm, or 105 or 135. the 50mm (on full frame sensors) most approximates what we see with our own field of vision. The 100+mm is used for portraits to reduce distortion.
  • @bruceme101
    Kewl plane, Didn't know what it was so I looked it up. Aerospool WT9 Dynamic. I enjoy all your content, thx and Fly Safe!
  • @johnbergt7
    Back in the early 90's, I saw a space shuttle launch from Kennedy Soace Center while flying over Lake Okeechobee in South Florida. The flame from the SRBs was a bright orange, and the white exhaust plume traced all the way back down to the launch pad.
  • @flerchin
    What a neat confluence of a bunch of your hobbies. The flight back into the sunset was beautiful too. Thanks for posting Scott!