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Test pilot and Helmsdale native Dave Mackay an 'inspiration' to younger generation





Sutherland native Dave Mackay who flew billionaire Sir Richard Branson to the edge of space on Sunday, has been described as an "inspiration" to young people in his home county.

The rocket propelled career of the test pilot from Helmsdale was brought to international attention in the run-up and aftermath of the historic space flight, a first for Sir Richard.

Former RAF pilot Mr Mackay (63) joined Sir Richard's commercial space tourism company Virgin Galactic in 2009 and is its chief pilot. He is the first native-born Scot to visit space.

Sutherland County Committee chairman Councillor Richard Gale has congratulated Mr Mackay on Sunday's feat.

He said: "To have a genuine test pilot and astronaut who originated from Helmsdale is an inspiration to any youngster in any part of Scotland and particularly to the children of his home village.

"That he is part of the commercialisation of space travel is Boys Own science fiction that is here today. It just shows that, with the right attitude and drive, you can achieve anything that you put your mind to and it is a lesson that all youngsters can and should take on board."

The landmark test mission on July 11 was the company's first fully crewed flight and took off from the runway at Spaceport America, located in New Mexico.

On board the VSS Unity were Mr Mackay and another pilot along with four "mission specialists" including astronaut 001 - Richard Branson.

It was the twenty-second flight test for VSS Unity and the company’s fourth crewed space flight.

VSS Unity was carried by a "mother ship" until reaching an altitude of around 46,000 feet where it was released and propelled into the upper atmosphere by its own rocket engines.

Virgin Galactic flights do not enter low earth orbit but reach around 90km in altitude. Future passengers on its flights have been promised around four minutes of weightlessness.

Sir Richard said beforehand that the aim of Sunday's flight was to focus on "cabin and customer experience objectives".

Afterwards he said: "I have dreamt about this moment since I was a child, but nothing could have prepared me for the view of Earth from space. We are at the vanguard of a new space age."

Dave Mackay set his heart on becoming an astronaut at the age of seven when he won the Ladybird Book of Space as a Sunday School prize.

Aged 12, he watched the Apollo Moon landing on a black and white television at school in Sutherland.

He joined the RAF in 1979 and spent 16 years with the service, half of that time as a test pilot.

He graduated with his test pilot wings from the French test pilots' school, Ecole due Personnel Navigant d'Essais et de Reception in 1988.

Mr Mackay joined Virgin Atlantic in 1995 before transferring to Virgin Galactic.

The test pilot returned to his home village in 2019 with a special gift - a stone picked from local remains of the Clearances that he took into space. It is now at Helmsdale's Timespan museum.

He said at the time: "I feel Helmsdale shaped me in many ways. There was much help along the way, many significant people and significant places and this is definitely one of those significant places."


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