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A Photo-Diary from Nevada - Sept./Oct. 1997 21 Pictures by John Coppinger - Background from a photo by J
V (TrackMaster) Franck The whole thing powered by
Richard and Sally Noble and Family
With thanks to Barbie McSean, John Lovatt, Steve Georgii, Pete
Ross, |
On the road - 4th September
Route 447 - The town of Gerlach under the mountains ahead
Many of us saw Gerlach for the first time here - But some
were returning to the place where Thrust II, |
Everyone in town made us welcome
Bev Osborn and Don Davis - Citizens of Gerlach
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Bev in front of her bar, The Miners Club - I
first met Don there. The town was full, the trailer |
First day on the desert - 5th September
18 miles North East of the Pit Station - The Black Rock itself
This is when I very nearly learned about the desert the hard way - Always tell someone where you are going! |
Black Metal meets Black Rock
6th September - About to roll on the desert for the first time
SSC had run on a desert in Jordan, in 1996, but the Black Rock Desert has a surface the car was designed for. |
The Pit Station
SSC Operations up and running - Steve Georgii on the right
It was much more than just the car - Equipment, vehicles, microlights, a workshop and people made it go. |
SSC in the Aireshelta (TM)
The Desert Beast in its' lair
The Aireshelta literally rose up out of the ground - A base and a workshop up and running in less than a day. |
Making my mark on SSC
11th September - Marking up a rear wheel fairing for drilling
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Ron Ayers asked for modifications to absorb
supersonic shockwaves travelling along the underside of the car. |
Hospitality and Explanations
Ron Ayers (Project Aerodynamicist - in blue) talking to visitors.
Ron would listen, and explain things, to anyone who asked him - He was always willing to teach and to learn. |
Two more members of the Design Team
Mike Horne (Bodywork) left, and Jerry Bliss (Systems) right
Six people decided if Thrust SSC would run - And each one of
them took full responsibility for that decision. |
The Worlds' Fastest Men
Andy Green gives Craig Breedlove a tour of SSC
Craig was the first man to travel over 400, 500 and 600mph - Now he wanted to win the 700mph plus record. |
23rd September - View from the press area
Not the best picture, but the best one I got myself
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I guess it shows the landscape. Watching SSC run was like seeing a missile fired sideways across the desert. |
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On the 25th
September Andy Green drove Thrust SSC to 714 mph. |
Pegasus Microlights (TM) - Essential air cover
Callsign 'Pegasus Green' - Owner & Pilot, Bill Sherlock
Pegasus Green and Pegasus Black saw everything - They even chased a coyote away from the track one day. |
Fly Geyser @ Fly Ranch
28th September - Pegasus Pilot, Simon Baker
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From 200 feet some views of this landscape could have been the earth seen from the Space Shuttle in orbit. |
Pit Station from the air - Landing approach
28th September - Pegasus Pilot, Simon Baker
This is probably the most exciting flight I've ever taken - I didn't believe the photos would come out to prove it. |
Rocky and Nancy at Access Five
6th October - The Americans loved us, and we loved them
Rocky and Nancy entertained us, shared everything they had, and helped us control the desert for every run. |
Man in a hat - Caught by Ray's camera
7th October - The day I won the Furry Dice
I'd radioed in that I was in position, five miles too far up the desert - I got to choose who won the dice next! |
What it was all about - 7th October
The proof - Copyright Richard
Meredith-Hardy
Go to RMH Photo Library 3.GIF){kind=small}
Richard was one of the pilots of Pegasus Black - When he first reported seeing this shockwave effect very few people believed him; only Ron Ayers was convinced, as the report matched his own predictions. So the next day Richard took a series of pictures, including this one, to provide proof of the first supersonic shockwave from a ground vehicle. The pictures stunned those who first saw them and were soon seen all around the world. |
SSC Team photo
Copyright Jeremy Davey (Far right)
There were a lot more people than this - We were the lucky ones who'd been able to stay the whole six weeks. |
Railroad Crossing - Access Six
10th October - The American West, as seen in the movies
We patrolled access points to the desert and asked people politely, especially if they were armed, not to cross. |
13th October - Access Three
Watching the desert and the sky
Sometimes a lonely job - Then Larry and Bill stopped by, and taught me to fire a Hawkins black powder rifle. |
Thrust SSC officially went
supersonic, a World Land Speed Record of |
Last evening - Ready to Roll
Packing up the Pit Station - 16th October
In the foreground is 'Firechase' - The projects' 135mph fire engine. On the last day we all had a turn driving it. |
Farewell Black Rock - 17th October
The last morning on the Desert - Trego Mountain at dawn
Rob Hemper saying goodbye to the desert - He was one of the core team who'd worked on SSC from the start. |
The last morning in town -17th October
On the Gerlach town range with Judge Phil Thomas (R)
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Ed Kruse normally fights forest fires. Judge Phil Thomas works hard to keep the local kids on a straight road. |
SSC at The Peppermill Casino - Reno
Overwhelming lighting, hospitality and culture shock - Great!
SSC had visited here six weeks before - But now the car had run supersonic and earned its' name for real. |
End
Excellent Thrust SSC Graphics
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Thrust SSC & Black Rock in Microsoft Flight Simulator |
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