The Russians are coming!

[Capn Bloggs]

It takes a lot to impress me, but this is just incredible... Fedor Konyukhov lifted off from Northam in WA 11 days ago on an attempt to break the speed record for a circumnavigation around the world (he has to cross Northam inside 13 days). Stunningly, he's now 200km south-west of Perth doing 80kms/hr tracking straight towards Northam. A true adventurer... :D http://www.smilies.our-local.co.uk/index_files/worship.gif

http://s31.postimg.org/tjgtdme5n/Balloon.jpg (http://postimage.org/)

http://s31.postimg.org/v3qqprbxn/balloon2.jpg (http://postimage.org/)

Follow him here:
Around the world on roziere balloon - ????? ??????? (http://konyukhov.ru/en/roadmap.html)

[PLovett]

Geez, I bet it got a bit cold between South Africa and WA. :ooh: Its just been snowing here and thats at sea-level. :{

Must admit I had forgotten about this. Hope nothing goes wrong on the last lap. :ok:

[Stationair8]

He will be okay, but he will have to hold OCTA pending clearance!

Freezing level at 1500', down your way PLovett- not out sun baking today?

[Dick Smith]

Fedor. Is now visible from Perth if you look up

[Dick Smith]

Now over Nedlands at 21,000'

[Dick Smith]

Just over the top of Perth tower as we told fedor when he left Northam this was the best place to be- clear of approach and departure traffic.

[Duck Pilot]

I've been regularly monitoring his progress, impressed with how much speed he has picked up in the past few days. Thought he wouldn't have made WA until early next week.

How much lateral control (track) does he have?

Very interesting and a impressive achievement! We need more aviators like this!!!

[Dick Smith]

Going over Perth very much luck. Fedor can climb and descend upon advice from experts here at the Northam control centre. Hopefully land before dark . Very difficult to get such a large balloon down safely .

[Laser651]

I'm so impressed of how he navigated to within a mile of Northam according to FlightRadar although at altitude. How do you balloon pilots do it? Great to see him fly over Perth before the cloud set in. Land Safely!

[spinex]

Gobsmacked that he made it back so close to his departure point, I have been watching at intervals and then got right into it when he detoured off toward the penguins - windyty showed the southern Indian Ocean as a bit of a mess and I reckoned he would be doing well to hit the big island somewhere (anywhere!) along the southern coast. Fantastic achievement.

[Capn Bloggs]

Flew right past him on departure; mind-blowing to think a man was in that thing hanging in the sky for 11 days. Now down at Bonnie Rock. Well done.

[Hasherucf]

очень хорошо, жизнь малина для Фёдор :)

[Duck Pilot]

Bloggs, were you on your way to Darwin by any chance when you saw Fedor on departure? If so I was in the back looking!

[Capn Bloggs]

Nah Duck, going somewhere else northerly... ATC called your aircraft to advise you were passing Fedor. Didn't you get a PA from the front end?? := :E

25S1IPIH-C4

[Hasherucf]

http://www.1tv.ru/news/2016/07/23/306645-fedor_konyuhov_obletel_zemlyu_na_vozdushnom_share_i_finishir oval_v_avstralii

[YPJT]

We had a small window of opportunity to see him as he approached the coast but he disappeared behind the clouds as soon is it a was over the top of Nedlands.
I was also pretty impressed by how close he got to his lift off point According to the tracking on flight radar he was with in about a half a nautical mile
I wonder what odds the bookies would have given for that

[zanzibar]

Now, before I'm crucified, I'm not taking anything away from this achievement, it certainly was not without considerable risk and required resources, planning and execution beyond my imagination. It is worthy of praise and well done to all involved.


My query is, though, was this really a "circumnavigation" seeing that the flight remained entirely in relatively high latitudes. My understanding is that a circumnavigation would require passing though (or over) points that are antipodal.


To illustrate my point, if someone was in Antarctica and strolled around the south pole along latitude 89 degrees south then they've certainly crossed all the meridians, but is it a circumnavigation?

His route followed that of Steve Fossett, more or less, so his record time was pretty remarkable.

Flak jacket on!!!!

[Trevor the lover]

I'll jump in the bunker with you Zanzi. Yep a truly great achievement - but surely the latitude of circumnavigation must come into the definition somewhere. If I go down to 89 59 south and do a quick trot around, can I claim the fastest circumnavigation?


I feel a bit ashamed that maybe I'm knocking a fabulous exploit - but it is a point worthy of discussion.


And to continue my slight cynicism - recent events of young guys flying the globe in very modern Cirrus aircraft with fully coupled uber accurate nav systems. Ive circled the globe many times in biz jets. Ive had to handle all paperwork requirements - overfly, landing permits, customs and immigration etc etc. My aircraft was 15 years older, but it did have 2 engines and goes faster. Other than that - what is the difference between me and them? Take off, plug in autopilot and let modern, reliable aircraft do the rest. I think in this day and age of incredible aircraft technology, the way to do something truly epic is to go back and do it in something vintage and basic.


Think I'd better get underneath you in the bunker Zanzi.

[donpizmeov]

15 inches at idle Trev.

[Trevor the lover]

Good call Don - lets do a circumnavigation in the bou - will be even slower than a balloon. Record breaking - slowest circumnavigation record, and off airways navving the whole way.


Heard your 50th bash was a good one. Catching up with the Fungulu Fish today for coffee. Cant believe you gave him a 380 command

[spinex]

Ah well we had a good run before the first pedant stuck their oar in. I think you'll find that most who have passed their nav are aware that a true circumnavigation requires that one cross the equator and travel a path equal to or exceeding the earth's circumference. Those who also paid attention in met will understand that achieving this in a device propelled by atmospheric movement alone will attract an ever so slightly higher score for difficulty. Not taking anything away from those who sought to edumacate the rest of us gullible clots, but....

[Trevor the lover]

and your point is???

[Seagull V]

While I agree that a true circumnavigation would include the crossing of all meridians and the equator, the rules applied by the Federation Aeronautique Internationale(F.A.I.) for validating aerial circumnavigations are:
"Fora powered aircraft to officially circumnavigate the world it must cross allmeridians in one direction, travel a distance of at least 36,787.559 km (thelength of the Tropic of Cancer), and complete the journey at the point ofdeparture. Each leg must commence at the exact point where the previousfinished off. There is no requirement that it cross the Equator or touchantipodal points.
TheF.A.I. o has a different (less stringent) set of rules for inflatable craft,such as balloons and blimps, which are at the mercy of winds and jet streams."
Good effort by the Russian and I see that the first Solar powered flight is about completed.
It seem that the age of adventure is not over yet.

[zanzibar]

Your comment noted Spinex. If being a pedant as a result of suggesting the reporting be accurate - then thank you for the compliment.


Subsequent to Seagull's comment, my interest was raised enough to read the FAI's rules on such flights. Throughout they are referred to "around the world" and not otherwise because of the considerations you mention Spinex.


Further to the Russki's fastest flight around the world for which his preliminary claim is before the FAI for ratification, (the claim is for an "Absolute Record" in ballooning), he is also claiming 4 records in various sub-classes, one of which is a distance record of 34,000km which eclipses Steve Fossett's distance record by around 800km


As I said earlier, a commendable effort.