Henshaw Challenge: Success! (Now includes photographs)

[Katamarino]

Does anybody else think this looks like a fantastic trip...would be good to do a slightly more sedate version!

FOllowing him on the satellite picture...looks like good weather where he is

[Desert Diner]

Interesting comparison between the two planes.

http://http://www.henshaw-challenge....5/Default.aspx

[david viewing]

What's the latest estimate for Southend and is there any restriction on people flying in there to witness the event? Thanks

[brockenspectre]

Thanks 4holerpoler for this info!

I have now bookmarked the Track the Flight page and see that it updated just a few minutes ago.

What a fabulous adventure! I do hope that there is a camera on board and that some TV company is following this story It would make excellent viewing on the Beeb or Discovery Channel!

This is a true aviation story. Would love to shake Charlie Stobbard's hand... adventurers like him are thin on the ground in this prissy 21st century most of us live in!!

Have the BBC/ITV/Brit news media been warmed up so that they can at least cover the arrival in Southend?

[BOAC]

http://www.pprune.org/private-flying...challenge.html (with pics)
and
http://www.pprune.org/african-aviati...le-piston.html

[panjandrum]

There is no restriction on flying in to Southend, (just need PPR before 0800 local), but it looks like he won't be landing until after then.

[Katamarino]

Uhoh, the latest satellite track doesn't look good...he's turned nearly 180 degrees and is heading almost due south (although still making full speed)

[DingerX]

Looks like a bug in the tracking software bounced him off the equator.

edit: they fixed it now.

[BackPacker]

He altered his track about 15 minutes ago and is now flying almost due south. Diverting perhaps?

It would be great if there were some kind of blog/twitter thing on his site so we could see not just what's happening, but also why.

[Rodent1982]

I'm fairly sure he's too busy flying the plane to update his twitter or blog

[beatnik]

Does anyone know why he spent an hour longer than expected at Brazzaville? He's about an hour behind Henshaw at the moment, and still heading south.

As Backpacker says - pity no real time blog from his ground crews (or himself - after all - he's probably on autopilot)

Edited to say: he appears to be headed north again - I think it was a GPS/software glitch as he passed over the equator.

[sleemanj]

Seems to have be on track now? Must have been a reporting glitch or something.

[Rodent1982]

Seems to have been a glitch. He is heading north now, and the historic tracks of him going due south are gone

[BackPacker]

Haha. The data has just been updated and he's now flying north again according to the data. He never flew south but crossed the equator so his position flipped from S to N of the equator. But I guess there is a script somewhere which was never tested for that.

Must be an alert ground crew. Took 'em about 15 minutes to fix.

[Katamarino]

Hurrah!

[GULF69]

they were delayed out of Cape Town last night / this morning by just over 3 hours due to fog

[MichaelJP59]

Perhaps someone could give Brazzaville a call on [phone] and find out how it's going, I would, but my French is terrible

Maya Maya Airport

- Michael

[HarryMann]

Corrected link:

Interesting comparison between the two planes.

Aircraft comparison


One major difference not noted specifically is the oil capacity... modern engines burn a lot less oil! 8 litres Vs 23 litres

[It flies]

Does anyone know what the Ghost plane (indicated by a white H on the map to the left of the track) is supposed to show?

[GK430]

From colleagues who are now en route to EGMC in the other Cape Challenger, I believe the white 'H' is a direct comparison to where G-AEXF was after the same elapsed time on his Cape - LON return journey.

(How this is worked out remains a mystery - computed perhaps)