Yesterday I had the opportunity to do something different. My friend, John Swingle works for the government. He works in Poway at a General Atomics facility (General Atomics Aeronautical Systems). I can’t tell you what he does there; I’m not sure I fully understand his role. I do know it requires a high level of security clearance. He arranged a tour for me.
My alarm was set for 6:30am. I haven’t had to use an alarm for months. I showered and had coffee with a cup of Greek yogurt before John picked me up at 7:45am. It took about 30 minutes to drive to Poway. When we checked in at the security desk, I realized I’d forgotten to bring my passport. My only identification was my driver’s license. Without proof of citizenship, my tour would be restricted. I had to leave my cell phone in a locker due to the camera it has. No photos are allowed.
Visitor badge
John introduced me to some of his colleagues and gave me a little background on what they do there. This facility is where Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs – sometimes called drones) are built. The support equipment, including ground control stations are also built here. They develop the software to operate and control the UAVs. It’s a huge facility occupying several large buildings.
We went to the production facility where I saw MQ-9 Reapers being assembled. These are fantastic airplanes, much larger than most people think. The Reaper has a 66-foot wingspan, a 900-horsepower turboprop powerplant and carries 4,000 lbs of fuel. Depending on the configuration, it can fly for more than 36 hours to complete a mission. It can fly at altitudes up to 50,000 feet above sea level at speeds up to 220 knots.
There are many sensors onboard, such as thermal imaging, radar imaging and cameras. Wikipedia claims an operator can read a license plate up to three miles away.
Flying one of these birds from a remote station must be tricky. The command is sent to a satellite and relayed to the plane. This results in a delay. The command can take more than a second to be received, then the plane responds to the command.
We saw MQ-9 Reapers in various stages of assembly. It is designed to be easily disassembled for shipping. The wings and tail surfaces are removable. They have special shipping containers to securely package the airframe for shipping.
We also saw MQ-1 Predators in the assembly area. These airframes were there for upgrades and repairs. The Predator is no longer in production. It is smaller than the MQ-9 Reaper and it’s powered by a 115hp Rotax piston engine. MQ-1 Predators can fly missions up to 14 hours. The estimated cost of a MQ-1Predator is $4 million versus the $16+ million for an MQ-9 Reaper.
The pilots flying these planes sit in a cockpit set up in a containerized work station. The controls are familiar as they are set up like most military jets. The pilot has an array of monitor screens. They can customize the view on each screen. I saw one where there were three monitors aligned to give an impression of looking out the cockpit window from aboard the plane. Below those three monitors were more monitors, one showing the status of the engine and other onboard systems. The others were set up to mimic the typical military avionics found in fighter jets.
Without proof of citizenship, John wasn’t allowed to take me to the flight simulation area. This was disappointing. He promised another tour in the future. I’ll be sure to bring my passport. Flying one of these planes in the simulator sounds like fun!
We had brunch after the tour, then John dropped me off back at Mission Bay. Donna took the scooter over to see her sister, Sheila. Sheila is a physical therapist. She helped Donna with a muscle pull that’s bothering her.
While Donna was at Sheila’s, I got the ladder out and treated the seals on the motorhome slideouts. It’s important to keep the rubber seals clean and pliable. I used a three-step treatment that does that. First a pre-soaked cleaning cloth is used, then a different cleaning formula is applied and finally a cloth soaked in a solution that nourishes the rubber. I did this before, earlier this year. It’s recommended annually. Depending on the weather, I think it may be better to apply it every six months or so.
Last night, Donna made pan-seared tilapia with smoked paprika and portobella mushrooms stuffed with creamy spinach – artichoke filling for dinner. Another delicious, nutritious gourmet meal. She’s a great cook!
Tilapia with stuffed portobella mushroom
Today I’ll organize things in the trailer. I’ll get the compressor out and set the tire pressures. I’ll lube the jacks and slideout rams with silicone spray and lube the Kwickee step pivot points. The steps have been out for a month and having the pivots freeze up is a common complaint on internet forums.
Tomorrow will be our 30th day here. We’re required to leave the park for 24 hours after 30 days, then we can return. I’ll have things packed away tonight. Tomorrow morning I’ll pull the slides in, raise the jacks and hitch up the trailer. I want to move out early so I can park somewhere and watch the Chargers game. They’re playing in Jacksonville, so the game starts at 10am.
After the game, we’ll head out to the Sycuan Indian Casino in El Cajon. The Sycuan Casino has a large RV parking lot and security. I won’t put the slides out. I’ll watch football for the remainder of the day, then crash out.
Monday morning we’ll return to Mission Bay RV Resort to begin another 30-day stay. I probably won’t post to the blog until Tuesday, when we are all set up again.