Alumni Stories Robert Thirsk, OC, OBC Feature Article
Twitter: @RobertThirsk
There are many remarkable pictures and documents lining the halls of VFC. One of them is a thank you letter, written by Canadian Astronaut Bob Thirsk (just outside the RedBird simulator room). What's his connection to VFC? Read on and find out!
Flying about Superman-style.
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FEBRUARY 2021
I took a break from astronaut training several years ago to spend a sabbatical year in Victoria. While there, I joined the Victoria Flying Club as a member to upgrade my flying skills. My pre-astronaut professions were engineering and medicine; not aviation. Nevertheless, flight training is an essential part of every astronaut’s development – no matter what was our prior background. I therefore used my time in Victoria to broaden my private pilot experience. Practice makes perfect!
The operation of aircraft and spacecraft share much in common. A pilot in the sky or in space must be able to multi-task and to deal with the data streams from several systems. No system - propulsion; guidance, navigation and control; electrical power; communications and others operates independently. Each interacts with others. To properly interpret flight data, pilots aboard aircraft and spacecraft alike must be aware of this interconnection and interdependence.
The Heiltskuk Icefield of the southern c valleys. Note how accumulations of rock flowing ice are drawn out into long, dark
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