This Expedition is not about getting into the record books, it never was, its a pure fluke that no-one has ever done this flight before and if they had, i'd still be doing it. I couldn't care less if 'the rules' say I can or can't stop but what I do know is that they do not say that I should ignore Flight Safety for the amusement of little people. This flight is about adventure - its about putting yourself into situations that are new (even if they are only new to me) and then working out the best way to deal with them. Its about carrying on with the great British tradittion of adventure and not living your life through a computer screen! Its about me showing my Son's that, to live your life to the full you have to go out there and find it for yourself, about inspiering them, about showing them that the world is an amazing place, full of people that are willing to be part of this great adventure. Its about finding what it is that makes people tick, about dealing with triumph and failure, about feeling all the human emotions and enjoying them for what they are. Its about giving my Son's courrage and determination but always remembering that exploring all these emotions/places/people and experiences have to be done with an amount of level headed saftey.
If I make a bad decission that results in a Search and Rescue situation, I will be damaging expeditions and adventure for years to come, if I kill myself i'll probably be putting a stop to adventure for thousands of people. I know my resposabilities, I follow them, I bend the rules and I push the limits but there is a line that should not, and in this case, can not be crossed.
The Global Eagle site was designed for children, for schools. The fact that adults like to follow the adventure is grate but thats not what its about.
Just stop and think for a moment.......... If I simply push on, regardless of the dangers, what will be the result? If I make it, then the message to young impressionable people will be to ignore safety, you can do it anyway. If I kill myself, apart from leaving my children without a father, I will make myself look stupid for ignoreing the obvious signs and i'll be damaging the chances of other people exploring life through adventure after me.
The people who sit behind a computer screen, who simply pick fault with all that they see as though they could do better and everyone else is retarded are exactly the kind of people i'm teaching my Son's not to be. The kids that pick fault and bully other kids grow up to be the ones that think the world owes them, that everything around them isn't good enough - my children will never be like that!
I'm no flying nut, its not my passion at all. I could leave flying and never look back. I couldn't care less about setting a world record, Andy Keech is a friend of mine, I love it that he beat the record I set and someone will beat that, Andy and I have no doubt and no grater wish as far as that concerned.
If you don't like what you see with this project, don't come back, its not for you, its for my Son's - mind your own business.
Barry.
Expedition Global Eagle.
(Keeping a level head)