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Re: (meteorobs) A wild idea for the 2002 Leonids ...


You could ask the Russians.  They offer flights in their MIG series of
fighter aircraft for a price!  You will have to attend a course before
flying.  Example: High Altitude Indoctrination and Ejection procedures, etc.
:-)  This also costs big bucks!  Military aircraft of this type are not gas
misers!  If you really have deep pockets you could also invest in a space
flight to the International Space Station!  ;-)

Ed Majden - Meteor spectroscopist and retired R.C.A.F./C.A.F. Radar Tech.

----- Original Message -----
From: Daniel Fischer <dfischer@astro.uni-bonndot de>
To: <meteorobs@atmob.org>
Sent: Sunday, May 05, 2002 10:02 AM
Subject: (meteorobs) A wild idea for the 2002 Leonids ...


> For everyone's amusement, here is a mail I just sent to the Dryden
> Flight Research Center at Edwards AFB in California - in case I get
> an answer, I'll let you know as well. Or does someone else have a
> jet plane for me? :-)
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Dear Sirs,
>
>
> I would like to learn more about NASA's use of the F/A-18 jet aircraft
> for research missions other than the one with the SwRI discussed in
> http://www.dfrc.nasadot gov/PAO/PressReleases/2002/02-20.html - it says
> there that your "research pilots must fly a certain number of night
flights
> anyway for our proficiency requirements," but it is not said what other
> research those planes are used for or how frequent that use is.
>
> The reason I'm asking: This coming November there will be the last
> Leonid meteor storms over both the U.S. and Western Europe for many
> decades to come, probably a replay of the events of 2001 - but this
> time there will be bright moonlight, hampering the usual photo- and
> videographic methods of recording the meteors, esp. the numerous
> faint ones.
>
> Flying at great altitude would get rid of the lunar interference
> almost totally, and the videographic equipment needed is about the
> size of the SWUIS camera shown in the press release. So one naturally
> has to wonder whether an F/A-18 could be 'rented' that night, i.e.
> the morning of Nov. 19 local time, to perform these unique observations.
>
>
> Thanks and regards,
>
> Daniel Fischer
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