Spectating at Verneuk Pan

[TD]

Has anyone here given any serious consideration to the logistics of getting to and watching Bloodhound SSC runs at Verneuk Pan?

Black Rock provided a natural amphitheater of sorts - it was possible to watch from the hills to the northwest of the course, near the proverbial "Access 2" (the Thrust team were careful to keep spectators off the playa during runs).  Spectating V. Pan might not be so great, as it appears flat over a larger area. 

Camping at Black Rock wasn't bad, though a squall nearly blew our tent away one night!  V. Pan doesn't have much of a surrounding infrastructure for essentials. 

Thoughts?

Thanks
Tim

[Dean Los Angeles]

Flight from Los Angeles connecting to New York and Johannesburg and on to Uppington, South Africa is $2,800 round trip and 33 hours each way.

100 air miles to Verneukpan.

You would have to be REALLY serious to consider this fun trip. Considering that you wouldn't have insider knowledge of the team planning. "Oops! They had to delay and will be here in two weeks." "The car is ready to go but the wind has been blowing for weeks." No guarantee that you could get anywhere near the race car to see it, and no guarantee that you could get close enough to even see the car when it runs. At 1000 mph the safe zone would have to be huge.

There are still two space shuttle flights left to see. I was in Tampa on business when there was a launch scheduled. I got up at 3:00 a.m. with a buddy to zip over to see the 6:00 a.m. launch. 2 hours later we are just pulling in when they scrubbed the launch. It was a long 2 hour drive back. Never did see a launch. I had a perfect spot picked out for the space shuttle launch from Vandenberg, right up the road from me. Did you know they were going to launch from there? Long sad story. Never happened.

[Freud]

If you go, get there early so you can pick you vantage point before the crowd arrives.

FREUD

[Stan Back]

And try to get upwind, too.

[4-barrel Mike]

Jon and Ray will be there to give us real-time coverage, right?

Mike

[Seldom Seen Slim]

Well, of course we'll be there -- if the donations pick up a tad. 

[Malcolm UK]

If you go to Verneuk Pan in Northern Cape Province you will miss all of the action.  The venue Andy chose for BLOODHOUND SSC is a 'nearby' dry lake (once the water evaporates) of Hakskeen Pan.  Longer and flatter than the course used by Malcolm Campbell at Verneuk.  Being 'close' is about 225 miles distant according to my map of the country.

I think the attempt will be the worst element of the project from a spectators point of view, because of the safety aspects being more stringent than the Thrust SSC Black Rock attempt.  Of course as a FOD Volunteer in the spring you can check out the location and clear stones for the team. 

Malcolm UK, Derby, England

[Dr Goggles]

Thanks for clearing that up Malcolm because the dark spam lord of the propeller has been a little upset about that point.....speaking of which , sounds like this might be your big chance to be part of the team Frank,

 Of course as a FOD Volunteer in the spring you can check out the location and clear stones for the team.   Malcolm UK, Derby, England

can't go throwing stones all the time without collecting some, it defies physics...............

[TD]

Bloody hell!  Indeed, thanks for clearing that up, Malcolm.  Must have been confused from reading "The Fast Set" while on vacation recently.  Hakskeen, yes, right there on the BSSC web site... I knew what I meant, even if no one else did!  

FODding for Breedlove was interesting, especially standing next to the bucket while other FOD Team members tossed whole .50-cal shells into it.  I would have chatted up John Ackroyd if I'd known who he was that day, as he was out there with us.

Hope to meet you there.

Best
Tim

[Bret Kepner]

It's all true; the SSC team abandoned Verneuk Pan and picked Hakseen Pan despite losing six miles of usable course. Verneuk has a total elevation variation of 2.6 inches (!) and still offers thirteen miles at two hundred feet less elevation than Verneuk.

I can't help but think the fatal LSR attempt of Johan Jacobs at Verneuk in 2006 also weighed in the decision.

I've seen SuperSaver flights for as little as $1600 roundtrip but Freud insisted on the $22,300 (!) First Class ticket.

[velocity]

The boys and girls gotta get it built before anyone ought to shell out airfare. . ., that's going to be a bigger battle that the actual record runs. 

-LSL