Are you impressed by Chalkie world record breaking attempt?
 

I seriously think people are missing something important out here. How can you call this world record breaking? Seriously don't you think it would be better if this Chalkie fly the same aircraft that Alex Flew 70 years ago? Even so, airports has changed, gathering vital flying information is now more easy than before...for stick and rudder sake...spare me. I AM NOT IMPRESSED! The man has all the high tech equipment and he wants to challenge someone who flew blindly... It just doesn't make sense....he is a captain, i expected him to think better than this...No wonder he is not getting any media attention...even a PPL holder can safely get away with it without being noticed!
I think he just wanted to earn fame the easy way.... perhaps he is just on tour... because i see nothing so special about his flight....
WHAT IS YOU SAY?

If you are not impressed, there is no need display your nasty side.
May I suggest that you find yourself an original aircraft as used by Henshaw, or some other sub 200HP aircraft, and try it yourself.
Bear in mind that attempts on world speed records are being made almost daily on salt flats around the world, and they are being done using the latest technology.
It’s the name of the game, so don’t knock somebody who has got off his butt and made the attempt.

I guess u are just one of them also!
 

You know what Chalkie is trying to do is like a racing competition between a person with no leg scrolling and a person with legs riding a motor bike! No credibility given from my side! What he is doing is just similar to an adventure of a PPL holder setting off to build hours towards a CPL in short time. C'mon man, think...please think...don't just argue! It's not about just speed and how long as it taken you to do it.... but it's about the originality of the subject...if so, then i think he should have not mentioned he want to break the record held by Alex...should be something different....why can't people be original...Maybe flying flapping his arms like a bird to London would have earned him respect! Try that next time Chalkie!

Digitalsoul.
Almost every record that is broken, is broken with modern equipment, because most are not broken on the same day. Atlantic crossings by air and sea, races to the south pole, land speed records and millions more, even the 100 meter by H Bolt was broken with new technology, shoes.
Thats is progression, its the way life goes. I am sure alex used everything that was available to him at the time, so why should the same not be done today. Your argument is ignorant!!

Did Sir Alex not actually challenge anyone to break his record? As far as I'm aware, it could be in any aeroplane with less than 200 or 195 hp (I can't remember the exact figure?).

Brave feat, especially bearing in mind that African diplomacy has (or rather hasn't) come a long way since then. And not to mention the weather...

Good luck Mr Chalkie, hope you do well!

HP

IGNORE DS. He is an underachieving troll!!!

I don't know what it is about PPRUNE. It seems to attract a horrible type of person that make comments like this poster, unlike some of the other forums, and yes this may be a big generalisation, but it seems true in my opinion.

I also get the feeling that a lot of PPRUNER's are not really passionate about flying, and prefer the politics it has to offer. :yuk::yuk::yuk:

digitalsoul, I think your comments say far more about you than they do about Chalkie. You sound about 12. How sad. :rolleyes:

With a name like 'digitalsoul' (which does not sound old school at all!!!), what can you expect.

It sounds like you have no idea what a flight like this involves or what it takes to do this.

Have you even tried to do a quarter or even 1 % of what captain Chalkie has with an aircraft that small?? From the way your message goes, it sounds like you don't even have the balls to do this in a piston on MS Flight Sim.

Secondly, you clearly have no respect for the people out there trying to live their dreams and others' out by defying gravity against the wealth of our worlds' worst odds.

Get yourself another username and try again. Your attitude sucks and it is people like you that makes mondays blue!!!!:yuk:

I don't know captain Chalkie, but I take my hat off for what he did! Well done Sir!

Ok, you got some attention ... now what?

Records are there to be broken.

It took 70 years before someone succeeded ... that must say something about the value of the record setter! and something about the challenger!

If it was that easy it would have been done yonks ago!

Now what records do you hold?

Only ones for whinging, it would seem... http://www.pprune.org/african-aviati...mer-pilot.html

:hmm:

I'm impressed, well done too Chalkie. :ok:

Watch out for this space...am gonna be the next record setter...coming after you Chalkie!...And thanks for the inspiration Captain Chalkie...only this time l'll be flying inverted.

Yaba daba doo!!:8

Yes - I'm impressed too!:D

If he'd done it with no autopilot or electronic nav-aids I'd be very impressed.

The fact that in this modern age of safety awareness a flight of this duration is made in conditions of almost comatose fatigue is highly questionable, let alone legal.

I take my hat off to him for having made a no doubt epic flught, but "broken" Alex Henshaw's record? Hell no! He bought it, with modern technology and a big chequebook. Anyone with the money and inclination could have done the same...

Chalkie's flight was impressive, certainly, but in no way compares to what AH achieved, as explained above.

His record stands.

Ab, you'll find that A Henshaw did it with the best that money could buy at the time.
I understand that Chalkie only had a basic wing leveler, so he is on par with AHs feat.

I am a bit disapointed in the negative response to Chalkie's flight, but I wish to put forward a few facts:

1.Henshaw flew a factory built Percival Mew Gull, while Stobbart flew a home built Osprey GP 4, which is made of similar materials, and has almost the same maximum speed and similar weight limitations.

2.The GP 4 took about 10 years to build from scratch, The aircraft was built for the average pilot and not for long distances, which was one disadvantage. Another is that there are now international regulations which control how and where pilots could fly, such as flight plans, overflight clearances, flight time linitations and least of all African bureaucracy. Chalkie is nearly 61 years old !!!!! How old was Henshaw when he did this flight????

3.About 10 years ago, Chalkie flew a 1939 Stinson with its original Scarb-Warner engine from South Africa to Oshkosh, which was also some achievement.

So please don't be too hard on him digisoul.

TT

All I can say is that I SINCERELY hope that these are merely trolls by some feeble-minded individuals. If not, then "rather keep quiet and let people think you're an idiot, than open your mouth and remove all doubt." Apart from some other factors mentioned, bear in mind that Chalkie operated in controlled airspace at times, where radios are mandatory. Hence a few hours delay for radio repairs, which Alex would not have had. Then of course there is the legendary African beaurocracy these days, which was probably non-existent in 1939. Hence a few hours delay for paperwork and refuelling, which Alex would not have had. Shorter stopover halfway? Sure, Alex had that option too. Navigation? Without a doubt Sir Henshaw will have encountered far more difficulty here. Will Chalkie have been able to do it with no GPS etc? I have no doubt he would have, but with reduced safety levels. Different times, different challenges. Now if it's so easy, why don't the big talkers build a plane and go beat it? I dare you.

Just one more comment before I climb off the soapbox. As avid an aviator as I am, I'm ashamed to admit that I had only a vague (and very incomplete) knowledge of Alex Henshaw and his achievements in aviation. I shall certainly be looking out to purchase anything he has written to educate myself. I suspect that a few others would say the same. Despite some of the views expressed in the previous posts, ironically I believe Chalkie has probably done more to enhance Sir Henshaw's aviation reputation than anything to the contrary. It only requires a dozen or so braincells to realise the enormity of what was done 70 years ago, however it would appear that certain individuals still appear to be limited to 10 or 11...

I agree. The people who are saying "Alex had the best technology too" is the same as equating someone who just broke the 100m dash record by using super powerful bionic legs. Or a spelling bee champion who used a blackberry during the competition to check spelling? Theres a point at which the technology eclipses the achievement.