What It’s Like to Fly the World’s Largest Airplane

Stratolaunch’s chief pilot reveals Roc ’s fascinating flight dynamics and what’s next for the historic, twin-fuselage jet.

Thom Patterson

Thursday, December 16, 2021 at 09:16 AM ET

Verified

Stratolaunch Director of Flight Operations Evan Thomas, left, and co-pilot Mark “Gidro” Giddings bank right during Roc’s second flight. Courtesy: Stratolaunch

Key Takeaways:

Stratolaunch's "Roc" is the world's largest aircraft by wingspan, designed to serve as an air-launch platform for hypersonic test vehicles.
Evan Thomas, Roc's first pilot, describes the unique and challenging flight characteristics of the massive plane, notably its "flat, Dutch roll" and adverse yaw, which require specific piloting techniques.
Roc's upcoming missions aim to expand its flight envelope, mount a central pylon for payloads, and ultimately perform in-flight launches of hypersonic vehicles to support national defense and aerospace research.

See a mistake? Contact us.

Flying the world’s largest airplane—with a wingspan longer than an American football field—is tricky, even for professional test pilots. Evan Thomas should know. He was the first pilot to fly it.

Named Roc, after the mythical bird, Stratolaunch’s twin-fuselage aircraft was designed to carry and launch large payloads in flight. So far, the one-of-a-kind jet with six engines has only flown twice since its debut in 2019.