0755 - 15 minutes to engine start. Jayne calls 'desert closed' to the security team who acknowledge in turn. The Medic Air plane has landed - keeping well clear of both the Desert Pits and the tracks to avoid any impact of its backwash - the desert is seeing a lot of traffic, and the dust levels are high. All vehicles are being kept to 30mph to avoid raising too many clouds, but even so visibility still falls quickly on a still morning. Today at least there's a good breeze from the south-east - if even keeps to the west side of the tracks, SSC should have no problems.
It's going to be a hot one - the only clouds are hanging over the distant horizon - above and beyond the dark rise that gives the desert its title. You're at Mile 3.5 with the Merlo and BBC cameraman Matt in their Winnebago - the run will start at Mile 0 finishing somewhere around Mile 4.1.
0802 - SSC comes on the air. Andy requests barometric pressure and air temperature - which Jayne provides. The radio barks intermittently as everyone moves into position for the run and potential incursions onto the desert are managed. Back in the Pit Station it's a busy time on the radios - with two SSC channels, the microlights' air band, and the SoA liaison channel to monitor. Even though the American car is temporarily back in Rio Vista, they still have to prepare their tracks for the weekend's runs.
0810 - the Speys are running. At the south end of the tracks, a dust cloud rises to confirm the "5 minutes to run call". Half a mile from us the recovery team start their Palouste - no problems with it so far today.
0813 - SSC calls 2 minutes to run. Pit Station advises SSC to hold - there must be an incursion. By 0818 all stations confirm they are ready. Jayne calls "1 minute to run". Sixty seconds later the dust cloud billows as ThrustSSC accelerates down the tracks. Andy accelerates to full dry power, aiming for an indicated air-speed of 280mph - approximately 300mph ground speed. Although SSC is a car, Andy uses an aircraft pitot and air-speed indicator as his primary speed gauge - being a totally mechanical system, there is less to go wrong with it.
The roar of the engines rises as the jet-car accelerates towards us, then dies as Andy throttles back. No chute is deployed - Ron wants to measure rolling resistance from 300 to 150mph. As the brakes are applied, ThrustSSC comes to a stand on the mark and the recovery team move into action. A few minutes later Andy Green calls "safe" and vehicles can move again. At a top speed of 24mph on this surface you head north to Mile 9. The Merlo barely bounces on the perfectly flat surface.
Arriving at your next station you report in position, check the area for any 'bandits' and carry on typing this report. Next to the Winnebago is a bottle - but strangely flat. You take a look at it in a bored moment. It is glass, but it has melted - someone must have had a fire out here on the playa, the bottle is all that remains.
At 0910 the 5-minute call is issued. "Telemetry" reports that he will be unable to reach the finish in time for the run - he pulls up clear of the track as the run time nears. At 0920 Team2 on recovery report that their Palouste is giving trouble again, but Robert Atkinson is investigating. The engines are started, so Team 1's Palouste is despatched to Mile 10 as a precaution. Everyone waits.
15 minutes later the Palouste is in position and ThrustSSC charges north again. The sensation of speed is growing run by run, and this one looks fast. 'Chute 1 is deployed and Andy brakes to a stand once more - reporting: "SSC is stopped." Jayne acknowledges from the Pit Station.
"Safe" is not called for a few minutes - Matt is down from the roof of his vehicle before he realises. With a couple of choice profanities he starts back up the ladder - he is half-way there before Andy calls and everyone can relax a little.
The next run will be to the south. SSC must be moved Mile 11.7 to Mile 13, ready for its first southbound run. 510mph indicated is planned, giving approximately 550mph ground speed - an all-in distance of 8.5 miles. The Palouste is still recalcitrant - Andy advises that he is happy to run with just one which will be moved down the track after engine start. "Trackmaster" heads onto the track to check out a depression that has been reported - Jack Franck and his wife Linda have joined the team from their home in California, making huge progress with the track preparations.
Time rolls on. Nick Dove in charge of Team 2 reports a fuel leak and an engine panel is removed to fix it before towing begins. "Hawkeye" (Operations Manager Martyn Davidson) heads north into SSC's dust cloud with a components manual for Robert Atkinson at work on the Palouste. Robbie Kraike in "Mobile Recs" heads south into the same cloud with the parachute for repacking. The radio crackles again as they make safety calls to avoid a collision. At Mile 9 the dead calm has changed to an intermittent light breeze, and the dust can be seen moving west. By 1010 the car is under tow.
At half past the news breaks that the Palouste is broken beyond a quick repair. The radio barks through another series of exchanges as the team checks that the next run profile will not have an increased risk of jet-pipe fire.
You work through your backlog of emails. "Telemetry" reports that the last run was 428mph true ground speed. Work towards the next run is progressing well - meanwhile the long wait in the heat continues. It's nearly 1100 and it is searing outside the RV. The battery charger is taken to the SSC - they must be making sure to avoid a repeat of Monday's second run. Robbie has re-packed the chute and takes it back to the SSC at the same time. A third run of the day is authorised - expected around noon.
1150 - your reverie is broken by Nick Dove on Team 2 calling up: he estimates 10 minutes to run. You climb on the roof of the Merlo to get a good picture - the most fantastic mirage has developed and you can barely see the Media in their pen at Mile 6.5. God only knows where the SSC is through all that - ditto the Pits. It's past noon when Andy reports that the SSC is armed and he is going for an engine start. Firechase screams past trailing its own small rooster tail of dust. At 1215 ThrustSSC does the same - several times faster - and the sensation of speed is incredible. As he approaches his peak speed Andy Green throttles back, turning off the afterburners in his first practise at levelling off speed.
As soon as safe is called you're off on the long drive back. On the way back Jeremy Bliss reports that the data logging shows a peak speed of 517mph. Andy Green reports that the handling and ride are "excellent - as we expected on this perfect surface" - without the desert throwing the car around on bumps as he had in Jordan he is able to get a true feel for the characteristics. ThrustSSC has caught up with Spirit of America in style.
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