The ONLY Hand-Flown Spacecraft: Virgin Galactic VSS Unity Simulator

Less than a dozen pilots are trained to fly Virgin Galactic's VSS Unity. Go inside the Unity Flight Simulator with Jack and Das, and Virgin Galactic's Chief Pilot David Mackay, as they take a virtual trip to space!
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🤵 Hosted by Jack Beyer (@thejackbeyer)
🎥 Video from John Galloway, D. Wise, Jack Beyer, Virgin Galactic.
✂️ Edited by Ryan Caton (@dpoddolphinpro)
💼 Produced by Kevin Michael Reed (@kmreed)
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[@StevenOBrien]

Props to Dee and Das for agreeing to hang on to the wing for the flight, especially during the aerobatics.

[@JackABeyer]

😂

[@ultima8250]

1:19 lmao Jack is like all of us in the sim and David is just laser focused 😂

[@Danny_S.]

I'm glad NSF reached out and was able to get this content from Virgin Galactic. Glad to see they are pushing forward.

[@JackMack465]

That looked like a lot of fun. Very nice of Virgin Galactic to give NSF the opportunity to experience their simulator (and share that experience)! Thanks for the video.

[@rchorseman]

That was Amazing. Thanks to Jack and the entire NSF crew for giving us this tour. ❤

[@kenmactiernan4290]

A great video. This video goes to emphasize the professionalism and litigiously of NSF as a news organization. Always informative and fun to watch. But Jack, you forgot... Remember... be excellent to each other!

[@ross077]

Looks like an amazing simulator. With the retirement of VSS Unity, hopefully a version of this simulator can be made available for the public to try in due course. It would make a great addition to the KSC visitors complex.

[@tapio83]

Probably will be reconfigured for the updated design, i doubt they would change everything at the cockpit also

[@David-yo5ws]

Well Jack, some might not have laughed at your head 'shake' as you accelerated after engine ignition, but I did. Thanks for the inflight experience and you were definitely safe in David's hands. Top notch pilot.

[@JackABeyer]

I thought it was funny. Im glad at least one other person did! 😂

[@knowledgeisgood9645]

Jack gets to have all the fun! Poor Das.

[@NASASpaceflight]

Nah, I was there too. Was also pretty cool to hang on the outside of the sim and film Jack through the window. 😅 - Das

[@David-yo5ws]

@@NASASpaceflight Your a real friend to Jack, Das. Full credit to you.

[@r0cketplumber]

At XCOR we had a fixed-base simulator for the Lynx suborbital plane, and I was lucky enough to spend (over about a year) perhaps a hundred hours in the sim. It was even more fun than the motion-base B1-B sim I got to "fly" once. I tried to tell our pilots that maybe there was more drag area modulation than we really needed, but they didn't believe me until I showed that I could have it in level flight at 50k ft (a save point just after reentry), throw out the gear and drag brake, stand on both rudder pedals, roll inverted and pull down at 280 kt without overspeeding. I could get the gear on the ground in less than 2.5 minutes, yeehah! Better than skydiving! My skydiving experience also was the solution to our glide-back issue- pulling out from the zoom straight ahead, then doing a 180 to return to base was near the limit of our glide ratio. I observed that since we went up at 85 degrees we'd come down at the same angle and which way the nose pointed was not very important, as long as it was at the right angle of attack. I suggested doing the re-entry at 95 degrees and pulling through the loop, but that made ALL the full-time pilots' eyelids twitch, so we compromised on a 90 degree yaw that simply made the pull-out go sideways rather than downrange. Turning back only 90 degrees at Mach 0.8 was a lot easier and could place us overhead Mojave at 55 kft and buckets of energy to make a leisurely descent.

[@JackABeyer]

This is fascinating

[@MrKennyanders]

Thank you to whoever gifted me this membership as we just cant afford extra stuff right now

[@beckyw9000]

Wow! My stomach feels like I went on a ride! Those were really thoughtful questions, really made the most of the time with the pilot. Thank you for bringing us this, Jack. One I will rewatch for sure.

[@jackdaniel4446]

That was extrememly cool, and thanks to Virgin Galactic for letting youshow it to us. This is the sort of thing I'm a member for. Great work.

[@inkeycat1]

What a treat. Thanks so much NSF.

[@jpmkiv]

Thanks for the call outs to give perspective to the decent rate and such!

[@MrKellymcilrath]

Fricking Awesome video Jack, & Das, Thank you!!!

[@DebraJean196]

That WAS awesome indeed!

[@wendyhood1006]

What a wonderful experience 😊 thanks guys for sharing this with us all

[@SebastianWellsTL]

It's so cool to see a space craft you can pilot.

[@hugadogstudio]

Incredible simulation experience! Thanks!

[@corrinastanley125]

That was really cool, and it seemed like the pilot is a great teacher.

[@jesserutt7413]

Its incredible how easy he made that look

[@lesleyploddypop2950]

How absolutely fantastically awesome. Lucky, lucky you!

[@JAredELG]

@JackBeyer 3D perception has delivered the visual systems for 3 different spacecraft simulators... One down, Two to go for you 😜

[@JackABeyer]

Omg

[@CrayonLeadership]

"falling" 🎶great view of the aerobatics. Thanks Jack, Das & NSF!

[@AmgineIX]

15:43 avionics shot. ITAR won’t be happy… 😂

[@beckyw9000]

Also. That pilot. I just can’t imagine. The Right Stuff, right there for sure!

[@mgscheue]

Such a cool guy. I enjoyed the way he explained things.

[@tomgreaney1]

That was fantastic, thanks Jack, felt like I was flying along with you

[@MickRonald]

Thank you Virgin Galactic and NSF for taking us along on this wonderful journey. We would never get to experience this otherwise. Just curious, what were we not allowed to see starting at 15:29 if you can say.

[@SebastianWellsTL]

Flight simulators are so cool!

[@martinsmith1395]

Awesome! I didn’t know I wanted a go until now : )

[@ptolemythespacenerd]

Yoooooo let’s go! Been waiting for this!

[@tracynichols7206]

Top notch , looking forward to a great future of changes. Congrats

[@Norminal1]

That’s absolutely FUNTASTICAL. great going guys. Love your program.

[@ironspider9280]

I remember being in middle school back in 2008 and seeing the CGI renders of this craft and space port America. It's crazy to think that was 16 years ago and this is all real now.

[@jack4socal]

What an opportunity!

[@Tribeinmotion]

You’re living my dream right now!!! 🥳

[@rchilton]

Finally getting to see this! Thanks Jack!

[@courtlandblake48]

F-ing cool. Never thought about it being the only hand flown space craft. Maybe it won’t just be a waste of tourist money…

[@jakewinlow]

Very cool video! Thanks NSF!

[@darlaparker5838]

just wild. Thanks for posting!

[@jonesjoyce1215]

Sensational!! This is already the future being manifested, and will soon be accessible to the top of humanity. Wow, wow!! 💥🚀🛸🗽❤️👏👏👏💐

[@bake30]

So awesome.

[@kamikazeuk2434]

Awesome Thanks Team NSF!

[@ruthlemler2726]

Really looks like fun

[@bobbreit5244]

That was BAD*$$ !! Thanks for the (sim) ride. 🖖🤓

[@linseyyoung1772]

David MacKay - First Scotsman in space! 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

[@WilboBaggins-dm7ub]

Way ahead of you Jack Beyer...hang glider pilot for 45 years ✈🛩🛫🛬

[@jimgraves4197]

That was cool! I want a go!

[@mmatejka01]

I have the original DVD from 25 some years ago when they were developing this to win the Ansari X prize..

[@SebastianWellsTL]

Awesome!

[@richardboyd5280]

Amazing thanks for showing 🎉

[@billv546]

Wow that was great thanks for the ride😊

[@TruckingTrucks]

That was epic! Goals

[@cipedead0777]

So sad it’s not going to be around any more. All the bugs and all the bad day must be worth it when you have a day like this. Just amazing

[@Deyan_B_Travels]

Nice work they've done with this vehicle!

[@bricktop7803]

A good Scottish pilot flying there!!

[@iparty98]

This looks like the most incredible experience ever!

[@JGS123WRPTP]

Incredible machine.

[@anthonycamilleri7297]

thank you jack awesome insights

[@Nehpets1701G]

That was amazing 👏 thanks for sharing

[@dancingdog2790]

It's remarkably Shuttle-like

[@Zachary3DPrints]

Oh wow, this was amazing to watch!... The Pilot reacts as if it is really flying. But I was wondering, can it go into space, like just that tiny bit more?

[@Mytton-he7og]

Delta will

[@hiitsme-n1w]

Somebody needs to recut this with some glass effects and make it sound like Jack is on a radio feed. It looks so real I reckon you could make it look real if you cut a few words from the pilot.

[@outoftheboxmedic1608]

Love me some Jack!

[@treasurerFinleyASC]

When the flight attendant asks if you would like an upgrade but you're already in First Class. Congrats on taking the right seat Jack, albeit in a sim...where you weren't allowed to touch anything, I presume? At least, I didn't hear or see you ask for a go. I wouldn't have been able to stop myself from asking.

[@NeilABliss]

Well, Jack, I'd follow in Scott's footsteps...get a commercial pilots license, continue with NASA Spaceflight, maybe brushup on as much science as possible. You may not reach the current requirements...but the future is in front of us.

[@skinnwalker4515]

cool!

[@sathaniel_]

Amazing

[@arnoldsmith5754]

looked like some fun even though a simulator its very involved

[@ZomiEdit]

This its beautiful video! 🤗

[@jameshague9107]

That was amazing

[@JeroenBaxexm]

that was awesome!

[@mgscheue]

Very cool. I'd love to see Scott Manley fly the sim.

[@Skydivingkittens]

Man, I wish we could see the screens!

[@nancyshaw9604]

I loved this!

[@eva.alsoofi]

Simulator je super stvar 🎉

[@e4tango347]

Super cool!

[@officialwildcardadventures]

Dude I want to camera op for you guys so bad. Great video.

[@lyricbread]

#sendjacktospace

[@muleskinnerfilms6719]

Cool guys!!!

[@CheapFlashyLoris]

When can we get the MSFS expansion pack?

[@TrailBlazer46]

Did they show you what safeguards are in place to prevent a pilot from feathering during ascent since the accident?

[@CessnaDriver2]

I would rather be up front for a flight. I have some private pilot experience and more interested in the cockpit than floating in back.

[@DebraJean196]

Was thinking the same thing even w/o private pilot experience!

[@AKjohndoe]

Sooooo coooool! When they're done with that simulator, they can deliver it to my house.. I would love to give it a good home haha

[@WillieFoulger]

David is Scottish and is probably used to people mispronouncing his surname which is Mac Eye. Except for viewers in N America.

[@atemoc]

I would love to be in there... Who wouldn't? Though they need OLED for purer blacks :p

[@MartinBelcher]

That thumbnail: made me ask myself does space smell like bacon?

[@ryer8477]

Wow!

[@That_TS_STEM_Nerd_13]

Wow

[@BPJJohn]

They Should Unreal Engine for the Simulator to get the Lighting more realistic

[@davinci05131979]

Oh man...this video tore me in half. I have a lot of money tied up with SPCE stock and I'm down 92% on it, I've always said this was a long term investment to 2030. Many times I've thought about just taking the lost and save the little money I have left, but this video makes me want to stay.

[@moparmyles4312]

LUCKY!

[@DougsMessyGarage]

Now Jack needs a Go-Fund-Me so he can afford to fly with Axiom.

[@d8ngdeld8ng]

🤩

[@emmabentley7945]

I wonder what sim they use, could be X Plane? As it is even used by NASA

[@joevelaarmy]

What happened to the bacon video.? I wanted to replay it.

[@ultima8250]

They said they weren't recording it for replay

[@David-yo5ws]

I did screensaves and saved it to a Folder, to add to my 71.8Gbyte collection of all things space.

[@cew182]

wen jack launch?

[@mapsofbeing5937]

"the only hand-flown spacecraft" for very mild definitions of spacecraft

[@jeebusk]

i don't understand how they had a parachute