Civvie Science Flight 7

C7 engineers worked late studying the results of today's flight test & are pleased w/ results! Read more about it: bit.ly/Genesis-PR4

you can check the link in prev tweet for more analysis but here is the profile and highlights from Jeb's extreme dive & recovery maneuver

HAB is completing some last-minute work on the Civvie before roll out, weather is favorable w/ winds out of the west & high lvl clouds only

Val is suiting up in the ready room over at the astronaut complex while the flight control team assembles for their briefing from FD Lanalye

flight team is briefed and the pilot is briefed. Val is doing her walkaround inspection of the aircraft prior to boarding & preflight checks

Val has received taxi & takeoff clearance, is on her way out to turf Rwy27 for departure. Her first waypoint will be bit.ly/Site_ZOX-81

climbing out, Val is already getting familiar with the new trim system, trimming the rudder to acct for camera on wing causing some sideslip

Val is on Hdg213 direct for her waypoint climbing to 2.5km. Jeb is in flight control to help her with leveling off using the elevator trim

after flying through her observation area while working to get trimmed for level flight @ 2.5km, Val's now coming about for a second pass

we've received science instrument data as well as her obsv report, she's now headed back past KSC for bit.ly/Zone_3B-8 10km offshore

cameras work this time! Val had *just* enough battery power left to send this image as she is now passing KSC @ ~100m/s. Civvie pitch is -5° in lvl flight thx to fixed wing AoA

cameras are storing hi-res pictures for us to download after the flight, Val still snapping them just can't send anymore now w/ batts dry

having completed our contract for KNES Val is now coming about to Hdg270 & climbing for FL035 to head for last waypt bit.ly/Jedfords_Curse

Val has rounded the backside of the Western Mountains, is logging her observations of the area. She loves how a level Civvie "flies itself"

after reaching down to scratch her leg & accidentally scraping the trim wheel Val has recovered the Civvie from an extreme pitch up event

Val was briefed fully by Jeb on the Civvie's new handling characteristics & says it practically flew out of the stall by itself. Loves it!

on final vector heading back to KSC Val suffered another mis-use of the trim wheel but again recovered okay. Is now in descent to land Rwy27

turning base 13km east of KSC, Val is on the longer left-turn appr pattern to give her more time to config for landing in the new aircraft

although she experienced a good deal of difficulty aligning w/ the runway on final, Val made it down safely & is taxiing back in to the HAB

we've gotten the photos Val took off the outboard cameras & uploaded them into this album for you all to check out: imgur.com/a/7RKv4

debrief of Cdr Val is overall positive in her opinions of the new aircraft. Civvie to undergo some slight changes: bit.ly/Genesis-PR6

post-flight analysis shows Val's final landing approach & why she recommended that the Civvie's aileron control be dampened even further