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Just arrived at the moon.

Captain Avgas

Well Known Member
I've just clocked up 1520 hours of flying in my logbook. At an estimated average speed of 150 knots I reckon that's about 228,000 nautical miles. That distance is roughly equivalent to one orbit of the earth (21,639 NM) plus the distance between the earth and the moon (207,000 NM).

So given a preliminary single orbit of the earth before firing the booster I figure I've just theoretically arrived at the moon in my RV7A. It's taken me 1520 hours flying at 150 knots to get here (running lean of peak to conserve fuel). The view is totally spectacular but there's a problem. I'm 73 in October and I doubt that I have enough flying hours left in me to get back home. :)

But my predicament is of my own making....the moon shot was always ambitious. With 228,000 nautical miles up my sleeve I could have stayed at home and orbited the earth over 10 times.

I'm certainly glad I didn't opt for a circumnavigation of the sun...228,000 nautical miles wouldn't have even taken me 10% of my way around. It's a long long way around the sun.
 

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Congratulations, interesting way to think about it.

And just think: If you fly 8 hours a day, 5 days a week, you could be back by next June :cool: Just sayin'...
 
I'll bet you can get to one of the Lagrange points. Might be interesting to see what's accumulated there - hopefully, a fuel truck with avgas.

Dave
 
Earth to moon

Congratulations! Positive thinking, you will bring your RV back.

I have done the same with our minivan :). Couple of weeks ago we clocked 300 000 miles to it so we are on the way back. Rule is that if I can't fix it by myself it needs to go. It is so simple car and parts are available everywhere. Have to say that my faith with minivan has been challenged multiple times. Don't know if I can make it to last back to earth.

From Wikipedia:
"The distance continually changes for a number of reasons, but averages 385,000.6 km (239,228.3 mi) between the center of the Earth and the center of the Moon."
 
Good one Bob! I am returning from my second “trip to the Moon” and I am going one more time :D
 
I'll bet you can get to one of the Lagrange points. Might be interesting to see what's accumulated there - hopefully, a fuel truck with avgas.

Dave

The closest Lagrange point to me now is L1 which is another 602,935 nautical miles beyond the moon and towards the sun. It's home to the Solar and Heliospheric Satellite (SOHO), a joint project between NASA and the ESA to make solar observations. See attached image. It probably needs an annual and I'd be the man for the job but at 150 knots it's 4020 hours further on... so no chance for me. But I believe Vlad might be on his way. :D

I reckon a few orbits of the moon to see the sights and my days of being an RV7A astronaut will be over. I'm reconciled to a landing on the moon with no return. At least there won't be any crosswind. :)
 

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I did the same thing with my Toyota Sienna van. I made it to the moon and halfway back before I decided to get rid of it.
 
The speed of light is roughly 583 million nautical miles per hour (Knots). My entire private flying history of 1520 hours has resulted in a distance travelled of 228,000 nautical miles. It sounds like a lot but if you flew at the speed of light you could cover that distance in 1.4 seconds. If you flew from the earth at the speed of light you'd be whizzing past the moon 1.28 seconds later...not even enough time to raise the flaps. :)

So at the speed of light I've only been flying for 1.4 seconds. It's a sobering thought.
 
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