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

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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 airplane by wingspan, specifically designed to air-launch large payloads, including hypersonic test vehicles, for national defense and aerospace research.
According to lead test pilot Evan Thomas, flying Roc is unique and challenging due to its pronounced "flat, Dutch roll" characteristic, which causes a slow but persistent yaw requiring precise and continuous rudder input.
Built using many components salvaged from Boeing 747-400s, Roc has completed initial test flights and is preparing for new missions to expand its performance envelope and integrate its launch capabilities.

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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.