home-built single-engine plane in South Pole stranded

[flyingwelshman]

Dear All,

I was wondering on peoples views on this guy?

I think it is a fantiastic achivment to build you rown plane, get it around the world, and over the north pole......

But to set out over anartica without a back-up plan? This does not seam to be just sensationalist reporting - it does actually apears that he had no "what if" option.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/3306443.stm

FW

[Genghis the Engineer]

His plans allowed him to divert his aircraft into a known airfield, run and routinely re-supplied by a civilised government, and they won't sell him enough fuel for a light single? Seems a bit unsporting to me.

And as to not encouraging tourism - surely the odd private flight is no more damaging than numerous "reach the South Pole" expeditions - probably less so.

I can see their point about that he should have made S&R provisions, and possibly they could refuse to release him until those are in place, but I can't see any other good reason for begrudging the chap 400 litres of fuel. One wonders if the chap has "demanded" rather than "asked"?

G

[Kingy]

Jon Johanson is a hero and is very well known for his long distance flights in his RV. He is the holder of a number of records and has been doing these flights for years. Something doesn't ring true about this story though. Im gonna have a little dig on the net and post again later...

Kingy

[strafer]

Bit of a Freudian slip there Kingy ! Unfortunately edited before I could take the piss properly.;)

[VCR]

The tight g!ts........all that way to get crated home!:{

[G-KEST]

I met Jon Johanson at the PFA Rally a few years ago on another of his circumnavigations. He is a quite exceptional and enthusiastic aviator who just revels in long distance flying and his aeroplane has proved its reliability is equally as good as a factory spam-can but the handling is immeasurably superior. I am sure his forward planning was more than adequate and assume the bureaurocracy has triumphed once more. It was a b****y sight easier for Wiley Post and the other pioneers of the 1930's - I can remember when half the world on a globe was coloured pink and we had a, no doubt highly oppressed, empire......!!!! Thats enough from a geriatric old fart. Cheers folks.

[Kingy]

Oh Strafer..!

I thought I'd got away with that :O

Anyway, there is not much about this incident on the net i'm afraid. But here is more about the man:

Jon (Don!) Johanson (http://www.vansaircraft.com/public/jj-persn.htm)

Cordially

Kingy

[flyingwelshman]

:\

Going to play devils advocate here now.....

Now firstly I think the achivments are fantastic, brillliant and so on.

However, it begs the question, to which I do not know the answer, had he informed the bases which he may have had to use (and ultimatly did) of his actions?

It sounds like a case of stubon people at the bases to me, sticking to principle, but this may have been aliviated if he had informed them of the possibility prior?

To draw a comparrison, when people go on expedition to antartica (on the ground) they take certain equipment etc etc. Ultimatly circumastances may change and thir equipment is not enough and they get stuck. They will be rescued. HOWEVER, they will not be bailed out. i.e. if the sledge broke, no one will provide a new one.


I am sure this is a case of not knowing all the facts, personaility clashes, political clashes could both take a part.

Finaly, I would like to say once again that the guy is a fantastic explorer.

FW

[bar shaker]

:ooh:

Not looking good for these guys either then, if that's the attitude (http://www.polarfirst.com/)

[Fly Stimulator]

Another version of the story here (http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/0,2106,2754907a11,00.html) from a local news service in New Zealand.

The fact that the pilot is an Australian means that the New Zealanders will go out of their way to frustrate him. A shame that the Americans can't see their way clear to being a little more helpful though.

[Algirdas]

Apparently Dick Smith, another Aussie, had similar problems getting fuel some years back when he went in by helicopter. The Yanks refused to sell him any, the Russians obliged.
I gather that the Aussie politicians are now talking to the Kiwi politicians about getting Jon some fuel - you can imagine the delight that will cause the Kiwi's - having an Aussie grovel to them...
Probably the Yanks are being holier than thou in refusing fuel (how dare anyone soil our lovely Antarctic with their presence - they should know better), and the Kiwis are treating it as diversionary sport - my money will be on Jon getting the fuel to be out of there within 3 days!

[Fly Stimulator]

Lots of discussion of this (http://www.pprune.org/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=111546) in the Australian forum.

It seems as if he doesn't enjoy universal support even amongst fellow Aussie pilots.

[fernytickles]

"It seems as if he doesn't enjoy universal support even amongst fellow Aussie pilots

FS - I guess you could find that with anyone? Altho' I agree, he does seem to be getting a bit of a verbal drumming there.

I was fortunate enough to meet Jon Johanson when he stopped in Scotland a few years ago, and spent the evening with him and a couple of friends at the best little Thai restaurant in NB (where they serve Irn Bru :) , but I digress) . What a fascinating and thoughtful person. If more folk in the aviation world had a lack of ego like he does, it would be an even better place. After I met him I read his book and respected him even more.

In this day and age of continuing war and violence and poverty and corruption and destruction and sadness (and couch potatoes) in so many places around the world, I have to take my hat off to the man for at least trying. Maybe he did make a wrong decision regarding the head winds - who in aviation hasn't? Until he tells us, we won't know for sure. Unfortunately with the flying he does, any kind of mistake becomes a big one.

I am sorry to see so many people slamming him, but everyone is entitled to their own opinion. Personally I hope he does not become a pawn in a political points scoring squabble and that he gets out of there, full of avgas and under his own steam, not in the back of a Herc.

[QDMQDMQDM]

Good luck to him. I like people who irritate bureaucrats and get stuff done despite great obstacles.

Let's have more like him to shake up complacency and rule-followers.

Give him the fuel.

QDM

[Bronx]

Give the guy a break.

People make out like Johansen's some PFA type who set off for a rally in his home-built-special, missed the off-ramp and found himself in the Antarctic.

He's flown round the world 3 times and over the North Pole with no problem. His airplane is an RV-4 built exactly to the designer's specification and standards. Australia doesn't have the Us Experimental Category so his airplane's passed the same standards as a factory built model.

Some US and NZ rule-gods are being dumb and stubborn.

[Spitoon]

I hate to inject an element of practicality here - but I doubt that there are vast stocks of avgas in Antarctica. Of all the TV I've seen of ops in the area, it's all turboprops ..... and probably with good reason!

[cubflyer]

The Good new is that there is fuel there and some fuel that was put there for Polly Vacher's trip is being sold to Jon. But last I heard he still has to convince the stubborn bureaucrats that he can refuel his aircraft with it and fly back to New Zealand.
The EAA is the USA have been getting the different US government departments to talk to each other and see sense and now with the fuel thanks to Polly, hopefully this will come to a reaonably succesful conclusion. Of course real success would have been to have reached Argentina, the original destination, but much stronger than forecast headwinds prevented that.
I can only echo everyone elses comments of what a great guy Jon is and good luck to him in his further adventures

[Fly Stimulator]

I see here (http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/0,2106,2758383a10,00.html) that he has now successfully flown back to New Zealand. The story includes some typically mean-spirited remarks from a New Zealand bureaucrat. Strange attitude from a country that flatters itself that it is still possesed of a pioneering spirit.

[Kermit 180]

Mean spirited beauracrats, not that uncommon in NZ now days. The pratts are everywhere. Its a popular thing to do at the moment due to some sea-going adventurers being rescued at quite some expense to the NZ tax payer. Not sure how much it costs for a P3K and a rescue ship to run per hour, but it cant be cheap thats for sure, especially on a limited defence budget.

Kerms

[Global Pilot]

Great to see a fellow Global Aviator helping the stranded Aussie out. Polly Vacher has had to accept a re route back thru the Americas in her second round the world trip. She has been down there for about 6 weeks waiting for the weather window to allow her cross the South Pole to New Zealand. It is superb to see her donate her fuel (which she had pre-positioned) so that Jon Johannsen can return to NZ with his aircraft.

Great stuff Polly!!
http://www.worldwings.org/