Would Captain Kirk cut it as a Virgin Galactic pilot? – Wired UK
Virgin Galactic is preparing to take paying customers into space – a $150,000 deposit will guarantee you a seat on one of the first year’s flights. In honour of JJ Abrams’ forthcoming Star Trek reboot, we asked Dave MacKay, one of Virgin Galactic’s test pilots, to assess how James T. Kirk compares to his real life counterpart.
Experience
MacKay is an intimidatingly well-qualified pilot. “I did 16 years in the RAF, mostly flying Harrier Jump Jets,” he says. “Then, 13 years ago, I joined Virgin Galactic.” Kirk worked his way up through the ranks, training at the Starfleet Academy and serving as an ensign and lieutenant on other ships before taking his first command post. At 34, he was the youngest captain in Starfleet.
Ingenuity
“You want somebody who can be flexible in a scenario that’s not in the rulebook,” says MacKay. Kirk passes with flying colours, as the only person ever to beat the Kobayashi Maru simulation – albeit by cheating.
Serenity
“You want to be calm under pressure,” says MacKay. Hmmm. One word might disqualify Kirk here: “Khaaaaaaan!”
Final Analysis
Overall, MacKay’s assessment is positive. “Captain Kirk was brave and he was also decisive. He tends to put himself at risk a lot: he was always the first to get out there to fight the aliens and I’m not sure that’s exactly the correct thing to do as captain of the ship. But I think that he’s the sort of guy who would command a great deal of respect among his crew.”
This article appeared in the May 2009 edition of Wired UK.
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