VH-NOJ Long Distance Flight
 

For those interested in Jon Johanson's latest endurance epic:

He filed NZNV DCT 90S180W DCT HONDO DCT SADG (Mont Grande in Argentina I think). I believe he left Invercargill about 0700 UTC on the 7th and had a total EET of 33 hrs, END 35 hrs.

McMurdo Centre told me just now that he got as far as the South Pole before having to return to McMurdo, and is on the ground there at the moment.

Cheers
DW

Crickey thats a long way on one tank of juice!

For those who want a map view look here

Bevan..

VH-NOJ = VAN'S RV-4.

Where does he put all the gas for 35 hrs endurance? :confused:

The back seat has a bloody great big alloy tank in it!!!

Jeez, that's impressive: what an inspiration! Makes my ambition to fly back to Australia SEP look pretty tame!

Andy :eek:

He flew Hedland to Parafield via over head Perth on the first day of NAS. Thru a gaggle of inbound jets at FL155, which gave us all a feel for the way the E airspace worked!

I understand that this was a record attempt - how did it go?

Appearantly he's had trouble and landed at McMurdo and now the seppos are refusing to help get him going again.
This could get interesting.

Is there any avgas down at McMurdo?

There is a woman in a piper dakota trying to fly over antartica at the moment aswell. She's on the other side at the moment I think.

Bevan..

Yes, its Polly Vacher from the UK in PA28-236 Dakota See http://www.worldwings.org/

Andy

I don't know whether it's a case of anyone refusing to get him going again - there simply isn't any AVGAS at McMurdo, everything there that flies runs on kerosene. But you're right about things getting interestng.

I hope he's packed a few spare pairs of undies and a wooly jumper - it might be a while still the next tanker comes by with petrol

DW

AAP

Australian pilot stranded in Antarctic
By Steve Larkin
December 10, 2003

AN Australian pilot is stranded in Antarctica after becoming the first person to fly a home-built, single-engine aircraft over the South Pole.

Pilot Jon Johanson had been refused fuel, which he needed to fly home, at a joint United States-New Zealand base in the Antarctic, his partner Sue Ball said today.

Mr Johanson yesterday completed his flight over the South Pole, which started at Invercargill on New Zealand's South Island on Sunday.

The Adelaide-based pilot had planned to continue on to Argentina but strong head winds meant his plane used more fuel than originally planned.

After realising that his fuel load was about an hour less than required to land in Argentina, Mr Johanson made a forced landing at the US-NZ McMurdo-Scott base in the Antarctic.

The base deters tourists, insisting any visitors are totally self-sufficient.

In line with that policy, officials at the base had refused Johanson the 400 litres of fuel he required to return to NZ, Ms Ball said.

"He is stuck there," Ms Ball said today.

Base officers had offered to put Mr Johanson on one of the regular commercial flights from the Antarctic and then ship his plane home when a suitable vessel became available – with the pilot picking up the costs.

But Ms Ball said that scenario was unsuitable when Ms Johanson could return if given 400 litres of fuel.

Ms Ball had asked the Federal Government to lobby the US and NZ officials to provide the required fuel.

Mr Johanson flew his RV-4 aircraft over the South Pole after travelling a total flight distance of 3345 nautical miles in 26-and-a-half hours.

The home-built plane was modified with a specialised engine and greater than normal fuel capacity.

Ms Ball said it was also believed Mr Johanson became the first person to fly a fixed-wing aircraft solo over the South Pole on a long distance flight.

Mr Johanson had previously flown the same plane around the world three times, including over the North Pole.

AAP

=========================================

So is there any Avgas there ?? If not the usually accuracy of reporting has applied

Base officers had offered to put Mr Johanson on one of the regular commercial flights from the Antarctic

Regular commercial flights !?!?!? :D - wow I'm off down to the Flight Centre to book a ticket on one of those regular commercial flights! :E



Mr Johanson made a forced landing at the US-NZ McMurdo-Scott base in the Antarctic.

So he actually ran out of fuel and glided in did he ? :suspect:

Hate to sound like a wowser but after flying his sircraft solo around the world three times this guy has nothing to prove to anyone.

It amazes me to see people doing silly things like this as I was witness to many years ago in Papua New Guinea when some menapausal divorcee house wife was in the media for doing long over-water stints in a single engined aircraft.

The fact was that female ferry pilots do what this woman did but on a regular basis - but they dont get the unnecessary media attention.

Touted "Amelia Earhart" this person had some equipment stolen by rascals in PNG from her aircraft,broke down uncontrollably and threatened to return to Australia.

After our employer gave her some lone equipment (not sure if returned) she was on her way much to the medias delight and fanfare.
Not ever a word of thanks to those that made her flight possible.
Says alot really.

Needless to mention the huge cost involved if anyone ever went missing over huge areas of water.
If anyone goes missing fair enough but whilst performing a "stunt" who should pay the Bill?

It's absolutely disgusting behaviour on the part of the officials at the Antarctic bases.

The guy isn't asking for a handout to get home. There are no taxpayer's dollars going to be spent rescuing him.

HE WANTS TO BUY FUEL!!!

If I didn't have so little faith in the power-at-be in the Antarctic, I'd ask the boys for a whip-around and we could get him the 400 litres of Avgas ourselves and send it to him.

I just watched the news footage on TV here in NZ and the officials are adamant that they will not help him, even to the extent that he is being made to sleep in the plane at a "perfectly fine" -10 deg C!!

Good luck Jon. Safe travels home.

typical aussie

doesn't plan properly and gets stuck in the deep south. then crys because nobody wants to help. or at least would charge a heavy penalty for helping him and he crys over it.

bout time

:{ :{ :{

Enough!
 

I must say I'm getting a little annoyed by Jon Johanson. What is he trying to achieve other than personal glory? Is there any benefit for anyone else such as Charities?

I strongly support people persuing their dreams, but believe it is unreasonable to expect others to make up for your own careless risk taking. Being adventurous doesn't absolve one from responsibility.

Whilst it may seem extremely unreasonable not to make the fuel available I would expect they fear the precedent they may set. If fuel is made available why shouldn't anyone else give it a go if that's what excites them. What happens when someone crashes 50 or 500nm from the base next time? It won't be SAR in Canberra that goes to get them. The people working in Antarctica will have to expose themselves to additional risk to go searching for someone who is not actually achieving anything for the wider community.

They have offered to send him home on a scheduled flight and thats about all he should hope for.

Slice: There are relatively regular flights to and from Antarctica in the right season (Southern summer). Not quite B737 CityFlyers on the half hour but similar to the regular commercial charters to many mines in Australia for crew changes.

With regard to Avgas actually being available, not certain, but there was DC3's flying in Antarctica as recently as two years ago and I expect some still do. Good chance that some Avgas is around but like everything in Antactica I doubt you would describe it as surplus!

I thought in aviation we tried to balance productive goals against appropriate levels of risk taking to achieve a safe outcome. In these adventure type flights all I see is huge levels of risk with little or no productive goal attached.

A decision to fly unassisted in the Antarctic is not only made with your own life, but with that of others. I think they are justified in doing nothing to encourage further attempts.

Safe flying, YMML.

"Oh ok then, Mr Johanson, we'll sell you 400 litres of AVGAS then, just to get you moving. That'll be $100 per litre, sir.... yes, that's right, per litre.... Don't like that? Well, feel free to shop around...."

Please correct me if I'm wrong but isn't this guy actually sponsored by Air BP?
So what are their comments I wonder?
And yes - this guy knew prior to his departure of the difficulty in obtaining Avgas in such a remote area.

If there is any left over Avgas from a few years ago it would have been time expired.

Thirdly Kavu was spot on as the headwinds were predicted by the NZ Met office prior to leaving Invercargill.
He pressed on regardless so should pay the price accordingly.

If you ask me the NZ/US authorities have better things to do than to bail out enthusiastic amateurs such as this guy.

Speaking of enthusiastic amateurs what about Dick Smith and his comments on "bastardry" and insisting that this guy should be elevated to "hero status".
Typical of Dickless.

I agree, give him nothing.

There's no requirement nowadays, in the name of human endevour/exploration or adventure, why someone has to operate a particular piece of machinery in the glory of being the first to do so to an isolated spot of the globe, then expect government agencies to come to aid them in succeeding if something goes wrong. (For Government agencies, read, you and me, the taxpayer).

Indeed it should now be considered an individual's glory/exploration/adventure that is being sought, with associated costs/risks borne by same.

An offer of rescue at his expense, which is what is on offer, is adequate. Being able to buy fuel from the base should be considered as 'Government agencies coming to aid them in succeeding if something goes wrong'.

What next, people launching themselves into orbit expecting NASA, the Russian space agency or China to rescue them/fill up at the ISS, then claiming to be the first individual to sponser themselves in space??

K

YMML - as far as I know all the flights to Mcmurdo are conducted by Air Force aircraft C130s C141s C17s etc. - It is an ice runway. Hardly similar to civil mining charter flights.

BTW has heard the interview Dick tool made on the ABC ? The usual waffle you expect from this eeejit.'NZ won't give Johansen fuel because they are scared of America' -yeah whatever Dick !! :hmm:

Extract from http://www.theice.org/mcmstay.html


FUELS
Fuel conservation is of primary importance. Scarcity of this product and increased costs have a major impact on the operational program. Your compliance with published antarctic energy conservation measures is required. Keep room and building temperatures at a comfortable level (65 degrees F or lower) and turn off all unecessary lights.