can you ID this NASA plane?

[Lear Wanna Be]

Didn't think that anyone would really care about the specifics, but since people use every oppurtunity to tell you how wrong you are around here....sorry. They were actually based at Patrick AFB Coco Beach, FL, right across the channel from the Cape. Which happens to be the controlling center for Cape Canaveral.

 

[bocefus]

Ok, I'll buy that, if you'll buy that PAFB is not referred to as "the Cape" nor is it even located on "the Cape".

 

[stall022]

What's the x-wind limitation on that thing? Looks like it can't get much bank close to the ground...

15 knots

http://jsc-aircraft-ops.jsc.nasa.gov/wb57/docs/WB-57FBrochure.pdf

 

[PA-44Typed]

They base at Patrick AFB for shuttle and rocket support.

 

[psysicx]

Are all of there pilots ex U-2 drivers?

 

[Pirate]

Well since we are splitting hairs on this post; the shuttle landing facility is located on Kennedy Space Center (KSC). Cape Canaveral AFS “the cape” is located to the east of KSC and does have it’s own 10,000 ft strip with a base ops/fire rescue. I’ve seen the things down here for shuttle launches only, not ELVs.

 

[Huggyu2]

Flying the WB-57 has nothing to do with the U-2, therefore being a former U2 pilot is not a prerequisite. The ER-2 is flown by ex-USAF U-2 pilots. Currently, there are only two.
I didn't know about the WB-57 doing ascent photos following the Columbia mishap. I do know that the U-2 did a mission to shoot the ascent and help determine which shuttle tiles were coming off, and when.
USAF U-2's were based at Patrick AFB until about 1990, and they temporarily went back there around 1995 for some operational work. Therefore, it is a good "known" for these type of operations.

 

[psysicx]

Do you have to know the right person for these kind of jobs?

 

[Lear Wanna Be]

Think it works like this...many years of military service, then get excepted into Test Pilot School (Navy or Air Force), then apply and get accepted to NASA. Some get to be rocketmen, but most get to fly aircraft for research and shuttle support.

 

[Hold West]

Do you have to know the right person for these kind of jobs?

Throw your resume in here.

You have to look down in the fine print to find this:

Code 745 (Operations): Positions responsible for developing and analyzing operational concepts and for planning space flight operations, management, and integration of the operations activities required to support human space flight missions. May also include work developing and validating flight procedures and crew activity plans, establishing requirements for training space flight crews, and serving as members of human space flight crews or pilots of research and development aircraft.

Looks like you need an engineering degree just to think about applying - the ones that actually go into space seem to hold masters and PhDs. The pilot jobs I would suspect go to former military fighter types with test pilot school under their belt.

 

[bocefus]

Well since we are splitting hairs on this post; the shuttle landing facility is located on Kennedy Space Center (KSC). Cape Canaveral AFS “the cape” is located to the east of KSC and does have it’s own 10,000 ft strip with a base ops/fire rescue. I’ve seen the things down here for shuttle launches only, not ELVs.

Yep, and Patrick Air Force Base, which is the controlling agency for "the Cape" DOD missions, not Shuttle flights, is south of the "Cape".

I think this is where they park the 4 engined WB-57s

 

[psysicx]

Whats weird is an astronaut can't have any form of eye surgrey but U-2 pilots can.

 

[Hugh Jorgan]

Do you have to know the right person for these kind of jobs?

How is the pay and quality of life?

 

[McGillicutty]

How is the pay and quality of life?

Do they hire from within?

 

[Huggyu2]

Whats weird is an astronaut can't have any form of eye surgrey but U-2 pilots can.

What are you talking about? What eye "surgrey", specifically?