My apologies if this has already been discussed but I just read this article in AOPA's Aviation e-Brief
Couple sets out to fly the world in an experimental aircraft
A German couple took off from a Florida airport yesterday in an RV-7 airplane they built from a kit, starting a trip they hope will take them all around the world over the next three years. Detlef Heun, a longtime pilot, will wed newly minted co-pilot Liliana Tagliamonte in the Bahamas before continuing on to Brazil and Antarctica. The couple says their trip, which they have been planning for five years, is all about new experiences. "It's one thing to jump from one international airport to another, [but we're] landing at the smaller airstrips and spending time in the communities," Heun says. Sun-Sentinel (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) (3/31 http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/lo...-the-world-flight-p033pnmar31,0,1961640.story
Anybody know if they have a travel log website to track them over the next couple of years? Would be a great trip report to have a link to from vansairforce.com
Anybody know if they have a travel log website to track them over the next couple of years? Would be a great trip report to have a link to from vansairforce.com
Not to steal any thunder from this couples trip, but... There has been at least one other around the world flight in an RV.
A gentleman from Watsonville, CA built an RV-8 and did it solo!! As I recall he was in his 70's at the time of the flight and he had just completed building and flying of his phase one before leaving!!
I'm trying to find the link for his website of the trip but no luck yet. Maybe someone from the Watsonville EAA chapter can post the link and more information about.
Truly an amazing accomplishment and total faith in your plane and capabilities.
Best of luck to this couple!! Looks like an interesting route they are taking.
Pretty aggressive flight path. Landing at the South Pole? I didn't think you could even fly there without written permission from some approving authority.
I wish them the best of luck. I remember reading about two guys who flew around the world in their Long-EZs. They had a bunch of hassles in various parts of the world, MidEast and China in particular.
I wish them the best of luck. I remember reading about two guys who flew around the world in their Long-EZs. They had a bunch of hassles in various parts of the world, MidEast and China in particular.
Jon Johanson, three times in RV4, holder of 48 world records, one of the flights via the poles, one leg 26 1/2 hours
Manuel Queiroz, Great Britain, RV6 2006
Bill Randolph, US, RV8, 2005
Don Taylor, first in a homebuilt, 1976 in T18, airplane is in EAA Museum
Jon Johanson, three times in RV4, holder of 48 world records, one of the flights via the poles, one leg 26 1/2 hours
Manuel Queiroz, Great Britain, RV6 2006
Bill Randolph, US, RV8, 2005...
You beat me to it, I was going to mention Jon Johanson since he is the first RVer to fly around the world. Not to mention that he did it three times. I read his book and it was a great story.
Anyway, this trip to me is significantly different than the other RV flights (and maybe all other aircraft) in that they aren't just circling the earth. They are zipping all over the place visiting countless countries for a total of 130,000 nm according to their website. It is planned to take 3 years to complete. Sort of the ultimate exploration flight. Incredible.
IIRC, Jon flew over the South Pole but then weather caused him to land at one of the weather outposts. His RV-4 was stranded there for months and months while he fought bureaucratic red tape to get some 100LL.
The Jan 1954 issue of Flying magazine had articles on three long distance flights. One was Marion Hart in a Bonanza from NY to Shannon Ireland. She had a Pan Am pilot for copilot. Many years later I found that this was just the beginning of her flight. A relative joined her in Europe and they spent nearly a year flying all over Europe, the Middle East, into Africa and as far east as India, and then back across the Atlantic. She was already at least in her 70's maybe older. She later flew another Bonanza around the world. Air Facts magazine ran a series of articles on her adventures. The Air Facts magazines are available in the EAA library. Great way to spend an afternoon on the extremely rare occasions when it rains in OSH. Her last Bonanza is in the Pima AZ museum.
