Tuesday started off with a couple of hours on the aerodynamics of the Shuttle during entry. Of course, it is much like an airplane in that it responds to the usual forces of lift, gravity, and drag (no thrust during this period), but the aerosurfaces (the rudder, the elevons, the speedbrake) which control how the Shuttle flies aren't quite the same size as they are in a regular airplane. Nor are they quite in the usual locations - they are much farther aft. So, the aerodynamics effects are slightly different from your average plane. Luckily, the computers are doing most of the flying. The pilots usually take over when the Shuttle goes subsonic.

An interesting aspect is that when the Shuttle is starting the entry profile and zooming along at high altitudes and speeds, the centrifugal force is a significant force to deal with. Other planes do not have to worry about the centrifugal force. But, like I said, the computers are doing the flying. Also, when you are that high and fast, the aerosurfaces don't work - there isn't enough atmosphere flowing over them. So, the Shuttle is still using its small jets to control its attitude.

Following that class I had my first evaluated single systems trainer class. You may recall me mentioning that periodically we would be formally evaluated in some of our simulation sessions. This class was first of such evaluations. The class happened to be the third in a series of data processing systems classes. In this class I was to perform ALL the basic procedures associated with the computers - everything from turning them on and loading software pre-launch, to reconfiguring them appropriately during a flight, to powering them down after landing. Everything went well and the trainer did not have any issues with my performance. Whew!

I ended the day with a Russian lesson.

Wednesday morning was taken up with a briefing on the environmental control and life support systems, i.e., the system that deals with the atmosphere in the Shuttle - keeping it there, keeping it the right temperature, keeping the right level of oxygen, taking out the carbon dioxide and humidity, etc. In some ways, the systems that control all of this are fairly straight forward and there are not a lot of crew interactions. But, on the other hand, the switches and circuit breakers that control the systems are all over the Shuttle in about fifteen different locations. It can be a bear to keep up with them all.

Wednesday afternoon I was back in the single system trainer having a lesson on the main propulsion system and its nominal operations. I also ended this day with another Russian lesson.

Thursday's morning class was on all the mechanical systems in the Shuttle - all the doors and things that open, close, deploy or stow. This includes everything from the payload bay doors that are unlatched and opened shortly after the Shuttle gets on-orbit to mechanical operations of the Ku-band antenna to the landing gear operations. Lots and lots of different items.

I was supposed to go flying in the afternoon; however, the weather didn't cooperate. There was too much icing in the area so we couldn't go anywhere. Well, that isn't strictly true. We could have flown to Midland at an altitude of about 6,000 feet. But, that really did not seem like a good thing to do. So, I went home and studied.

We had round two of environmental control and life support systems operations Friday morning. Our class earlier this week covered the operations during the launch phase and the initial reconfiguring that goes on once on-orbit. This class covered the operations during the rest of a flight. Next week we will be doing the single system trainer classes on all these environmental operations.

After class, I managed to squeeze in a T-38 flight. The weather had cleared up and we did a local flight over to the Kelley Air Force Base in San Antonio and back. This was a crazy flight. We must have had our clearance changed on us at least four times during the flight. It seemed like every few minutes or so we were being told something else. It was not the usual change-your-direction-to-avoid-traffic type change. It was here-is-an-entire-new-clearance change which you have to copy down and read back. For those that are not familiar with a clearance, they contain information on where you are going, what altitudes you will be flying, the route you will be taking, and a few other bits of information. It is actually quite a lot of information to take down while you are flying. Each time you are given a clearance, you have to read it back to the air traffic controller to ensure that you got it all right. In addition, on the way back the air traffic controllers changed our approach into Ellington three times. It was nutty, but we were definitely kept on our toes. It was fun and a very good flying workout.

After my flight, I had to dash back to JSC and have one final single systems trainer class for the week. This one was on the auxiliary power units and hydraulic systems operations. We finished up sometime after 5:00 and I was definitely ready for quittin' time.