And the record has stood for How Long?
Sure; I can think of several reasons why it has done so.
- logistics
- getting overflight permits, probably very difficult under VFR but there are few a/c types which have the necessary speed and fuel flow combinations which are IFR certified
- extreme personal endurance
- interesting toilet issues (I am fine with plastic bottles but this is "another level" above that, unless you do it in something very fast but then you will need a number of fuel stops, which is how it was done originally, but this is logistically hard these days)
- huge amount of hassle
- logistics
- sponsorship?
Navigation was a huge issue back then, for if you got lost you probably faced death, but today it is easy, and with an autopilot and oxygen thrown in, the actual flight
is trivial. And with satellite phones, ELTs, etc, you have a fair chance of getting rescued before the locals boil you up into soup
