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, designed to carry and launch large payloads, specifically hypersonic test vehicles, in flight.
Its immense size presents unusual flight characteristics, such as a "flat, Dutch roll," making it challenging to fly and requiring specific piloting techniques and control refinements.
Having completed initial test flights, Roc is preparing for advanced missions to expand its flight envelope and conduct in-air launches of hypersonic vehicles, supporting national defense and aerospace research.

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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.