Henshaw Challenge: Success! (Now includes photographs)
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Well done Chalkie Stobbart! 
Great to see that even in this health & safety riddled nanny world there are still intrepid aviators prepared to try to break records.
ZUCZZ
Try www.photobucket.com
It's the picture hosting site most Pruners use.
It's free, reliable, easy to use and, best of all, allows you to include the pictures in your posts - unlike some picture hosting sites which only allow a link.
Also, you can post bigger pictures because they aren't surrounded by blurb about the host site.
All the pics on this thread so far are hosted by Photobucket.
farmpilot
Rumour has it that you're SA's top aerial filming photographer.
Did you get any stills you can post?
Great to see that even in this health & safety riddled nanny world there are still intrepid aviators prepared to try to break records.
ZUCZZ
Now, if I could work out how to attach photos ...
It's the picture hosting site most Pruners use.
It's free, reliable, easy to use and, best of all, allows you to include the pictures in your posts - unlike some picture hosting sites which only allow a link.
Also, you can post bigger pictures because they aren't surrounded by blurb about the host site.
All the pics on this thread so far are hosted by Photobucket.
farmpilot
Rumour has it that you're SA's top aerial filming photographer.
Did you get any stills you can post?
Gnome de PPRuNe
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Great stuff Chalkie, well done!
Cheers
Treadders
Cheers
Treadders
Heliport, who's been talking out of turn!!!!!
I may have done a bit of filming in my time.......
Unfortunately I had just landed from Namibia where I was shooting and ran round to the GA area to see Chalkie, so no photos. There were two news crews there, one SABC and E News and plenty of 'real' photographers!
I may have done a bit of filming in my time.......
Unfortunately I had just landed from Namibia where I was shooting and ran round to the GA area to see Chalkie, so no photos. There were two news crews there, one SABC and E News and plenty of 'real' photographers!
Rainbow Chaser
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I followed Chalkie's progress home on the Track Flight site and on the Avcom forum and then caught the radio interview... so apologies for my belated "Congratulations" on PPRuNe
What an utterly superb piece of aviating
What an utterly superb piece of aviating
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I was pleased to see Chalkie at Southend. I was even more pleased to hear that he arrived home safely.
Congratulations to Chalkie and the team for a great achievement.
You have to do epic things to have epic memories.
Congratulations to Chalkie and the team for a great achievement.
You have to do epic things to have epic memories.
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Congrats to Chalkie
And congrats to Tony who built the plane and Mike who did all the testing and tweaking.
And a toast to Henshaw who set the bar so high it was not bettered for 70 years
And congrats to Tony who built the plane and Mike who did all the testing and tweaking.
And a toast to Henshaw who set the bar so high it was not bettered for 70 years
Thread Starter
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A wonderful achievement by an outstanding aviator - and a nice guy.
To those concerned that this thread was moved here from the Private Flying forum:
As the originator, I'm not concerned because there are re-directs in both PF and R&N (PPRuNe's 'flagship' forum) and, so far, there have been more than 8000 views of this thread.
Chalkie's progress, and ultimate success, have been seen by pilots and aviation enthusiasts all over the world.
Short clip of Chalkie being welcomed by his wife Maureen on arrival at Cape Town International this afternoon:
YouTube - Henshaw Challenge
Link to news item in the Cape Times this morning:
Cape Times
FL
To those concerned that this thread was moved here from the Private Flying forum:
As the originator, I'm not concerned because there are re-directs in both PF and R&N (PPRuNe's 'flagship' forum) and, so far, there have been more than 8000 views of this thread.
Chalkie's progress, and ultimate success, have been seen by pilots and aviation enthusiasts all over the world.
Short clip of Chalkie being welcomed by his wife Maureen on arrival at Cape Town International this afternoon:
YouTube - Henshaw Challenge
Link to news item in the Cape Times this morning:
Cape Times
FL
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Now that the magnitude of his achievement is settling in, I am left wondering about the other contender to break this record, Steve Noujaim. He featured in an article in the latest Flyer and will attempt to break the record London-CT-London later this year in an RV-7.
From the article: "At this power setting, I'm a little slower than the Mew Gull, but I can fly nearly 1000nm further, meaning I can only shave about an hour off the flight time, so it's a proper race."
So if Steves planning allows him to shave one hour off the 1939 world record time, and Chalkie shaved (well, cut actually) some 19 hours off the world record time yesterday, where does that leave Steve? Is he still going? Revising his plans?
The Cape Challenge, flight record bid
From the article: "At this power setting, I'm a little slower than the Mew Gull, but I can fly nearly 1000nm further, meaning I can only shave about an hour off the flight time, so it's a proper race."
So if Steves planning allows him to shave one hour off the 1939 world record time, and Chalkie shaved (well, cut actually) some 19 hours off the world record time yesterday, where does that leave Steve? Is he still going? Revising his plans?
The Cape Challenge, flight record bid
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Chalkie shaved (well, cut actually) some 19 hours off the world record time yesterday
I am also with the people who found the tracking site very useful. For any activity that you can't watch directly the public needs a tracking site and, when possible, some sort of remote video coverage. Look at the progress made in major yacht races, cycling and so on. For anyone else contemplating a record challenge like this I would very strongly setting up a tracking service. If you can also fit some sort of webcam it would be even better.
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So if Steves planning allows him to shave one hour off the 1939 world record time, and Chalkie shaved (well, cut actually) some 19 hours off the world record time yesterday
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I hope that Steve Noujaim will make a posting on this thread soon and answer some of the issues that have been raised. Chalkies flight has been exciting enough but we all look forward to seeing how Steve does in October. He will be about 15 knots slower but hopes to cut out at least one stop. The suggestion of a "web cam" in the aircraft and at the stops would be amazing.
Here is a link to s podcast recoding an interview with Chalkie after the flight.
http://www.pod702.co.za/podcast/bestofd ... osbest.mp3
Nice one Charles.
Here is a link to s podcast recoding an interview with Chalkie after the flight.
http://www.pod702.co.za/podcast/bestofd ... osbest.mp3
Nice one Charles.
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Wow! What a day yesterday was for us.
As explained in a previous post, I only heard of Chalkie's mission six days before he was due to leave and when I heard that he hadn't been able to find anyone to track the flight my wife and I decided to volunteer for the task.
It was an adventure for us trying to make something work in a few days that should have been "properly" done over a few months.
During the flight it became obvious to us from the media talking about the tracking site and from the data showing traffic to our server that there was a lot more interest than we had expected.
Actually I don't know what we expected, we just jumped right in without really thinking because we thought it would be fun to do it and because it would have been sacrilege for this flight to take place without people being able to follow it.
We got a phonecall yesterday morning from Dolph (a partner in the challenge) and Maureen (Chalkie's wife) inviting us to join them in Cape town to welcome Chalkie home.
We didn't need any convincing and tickets for a flight from JHB to CTN were arranged in double quick time.
I went to my daughter's school and kidnapped her. Molly (my daughter) burst into tears when I told her why I was fetching her. She was so excited that she was going to meet Chalkie after spending the last week surrounded by nothing but Chalkie stuff around the clock. At the time that she was called out of her class she had been telling her teacher and her class all about Chalkie and what he was busy doing and how her parents were involved.
We raced off to the airport and hoped that nothing went wrong because, even if everything went like clockwork, we would still only arrive in Cape Town with minutes to spare before Chalkie landed.
We landed at Cape Town and were immediately whisked away in a waiting car to the other side of the airport (didn’t realise how big the place actually is) to join the waiting crowd at the hangar where Chalkie would taxi to on landing.
We were immediately greeted and made to feel very important by Chalkie’s partners in the adventure and by his family. They hurriedly gave us special team shirts to put on and we were then allowed out onto the apron to wait for Chalkie, who landed just five minutes after we arrived. It was a VERY close call but our whole week has been like that.
Chalkie got out of his plane, hugged his wife and family and then walked a few paces to face a wall of media.
Among his first words: “Where’s Tim?”
Jules and I waved and shouted and he called us over, shook our hands and told everyone who we were and what we'd done.
We were so chuffed and felt quite humbled.
We were approached by one person after another thanking us for making it such a special event by allowing people to follow it.
Some people had had Chalkie parties where they’d invited friends to come over and watch Chalkie’s flight. Other’s showed us pictures on their cellphones of them and their families in their PJs in the middle of the night following the progress and reading my ongoing commentary. We’ve had emails from people all over the place thanking us.
It was just a totally amazing experience! Very hard to describe.
We feel incredibly privileged to have been involved.
I took some pics and got other folks to take some of us with my camera.
About three minutes after our arrival at the hangar, wearing our team shirts
Chalkie taxiing up to the hangar
Chalkie greets his family and partners in the adventure
"Where's Tim?"
Chalkie and our little Molly
Lots of media people
Meet the press
Tim, Jules, Molly
The Team (we're in there too - a real honour for us)
As explained in a previous post, I only heard of Chalkie's mission six days before he was due to leave and when I heard that he hadn't been able to find anyone to track the flight my wife and I decided to volunteer for the task.
It was an adventure for us trying to make something work in a few days that should have been "properly" done over a few months.
During the flight it became obvious to us from the media talking about the tracking site and from the data showing traffic to our server that there was a lot more interest than we had expected.
Actually I don't know what we expected, we just jumped right in without really thinking because we thought it would be fun to do it and because it would have been sacrilege for this flight to take place without people being able to follow it.
We got a phonecall yesterday morning from Dolph (a partner in the challenge) and Maureen (Chalkie's wife) inviting us to join them in Cape town to welcome Chalkie home.
We didn't need any convincing and tickets for a flight from JHB to CTN were arranged in double quick time.
I went to my daughter's school and kidnapped her. Molly (my daughter) burst into tears when I told her why I was fetching her. She was so excited that she was going to meet Chalkie after spending the last week surrounded by nothing but Chalkie stuff around the clock. At the time that she was called out of her class she had been telling her teacher and her class all about Chalkie and what he was busy doing and how her parents were involved.
We raced off to the airport and hoped that nothing went wrong because, even if everything went like clockwork, we would still only arrive in Cape Town with minutes to spare before Chalkie landed.
We landed at Cape Town and were immediately whisked away in a waiting car to the other side of the airport (didn’t realise how big the place actually is) to join the waiting crowd at the hangar where Chalkie would taxi to on landing.
We were immediately greeted and made to feel very important by Chalkie’s partners in the adventure and by his family. They hurriedly gave us special team shirts to put on and we were then allowed out onto the apron to wait for Chalkie, who landed just five minutes after we arrived. It was a VERY close call but our whole week has been like that.
Chalkie got out of his plane, hugged his wife and family and then walked a few paces to face a wall of media.
Among his first words: “Where’s Tim?”
Jules and I waved and shouted and he called us over, shook our hands and told everyone who we were and what we'd done.
We were so chuffed and felt quite humbled.
We were approached by one person after another thanking us for making it such a special event by allowing people to follow it.
Some people had had Chalkie parties where they’d invited friends to come over and watch Chalkie’s flight. Other’s showed us pictures on their cellphones of them and their families in their PJs in the middle of the night following the progress and reading my ongoing commentary. We’ve had emails from people all over the place thanking us.
It was just a totally amazing experience! Very hard to describe.
We feel incredibly privileged to have been involved.
I took some pics and got other folks to take some of us with my camera.
About three minutes after our arrival at the hangar, wearing our team shirts
Chalkie taxiing up to the hangar
Chalkie greets his family and partners in the adventure
"Where's Tim?"
Chalkie and our little Molly
Lots of media people
Meet the press
Tim, Jules, Molly
The Team (we're in there too - a real honour for us)
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Hi all,
Many, many congratulations to my friend Chalkie, who will notice that I tie wrapped your plasma plug leads on at Southend and wrote you a small note on your oil filter!
I am so pleased that this flight has raised so much interest. The record in itself is a complex mix of many parts, comprising, logistics, stop strategy, aircraft performance, human performance, and many others.
If we refer to flight time Alex Henshaw’s time was 30 hours 28 minutes from London to Capetown averaging 209.44 mph or 182.12 ktas. Chalkie beat this (flight time) by 38 minutes taking 29 hours 50 minutes for the leg. Chalkie’s average speed 200.7 mph or 174.5 ktas
On the Capetown to London leg Henshaw took 30 hours 51 minutes flight time averaging 206.4 or 179.47 ktas. Chalkie beat the flight time by 1 hour 18 minutes taking 29 hours and 33 minutes. Chalkies average speed was 201.74 mph or 175 ktas.
The above figures show that the Mew Gull was faster than the Osprey but Henshaw flew approximately 342 miles further on his more Westerly track.
So in essence Chalkie flew a more efficient Great Circle route and he stopped less. Interestingly the Osprey was not as fast as anticipated at around 175 ktas average.
Based on the above London Capetown leg and assuming that Steve’s performance figures are correct, by flying the “Chalkie” route at an average of 170 ktas (slower yes) but stopping less (twice) and assuming 2 hour stops the RV7 should do it in 34 hours and 53 minutes or 30 hours 53 minutes flight time as opposed to 36 hours 16 minutes and 29 hours 50 minutes for Chalkie.
The RV7 G-IIXF is not 15 kts slower than the GP4 based on testing and the above figures.
Notwithstanding all the above, I think Chalkie has done a superb job and I look forward to flight following on the website in October. By my reckoning AH will zoom ahead followed by the GP4 but as the 2 lead aircraft pull up for fuel just keep an eye on the RV7 which with luck and no bureaucrats will slowly but surely edge in front. Arriving in Capetown 1 hour and 23 minutes ahead of Chalkie. Then sleep and repeat Northbound. All will have to run on rails, the weather will have to be fair and a myriad of events will have to take place before success is possible. One thing for sure if the bureaucrats let the British bird fly then it will be a race to watch and with today’s technology we can all do it together on the web.
Many, many congratulations to my friend Chalkie, who will notice that I tie wrapped your plasma plug leads on at Southend and wrote you a small note on your oil filter!
I am so pleased that this flight has raised so much interest. The record in itself is a complex mix of many parts, comprising, logistics, stop strategy, aircraft performance, human performance, and many others.
If we refer to flight time Alex Henshaw’s time was 30 hours 28 minutes from London to Capetown averaging 209.44 mph or 182.12 ktas. Chalkie beat this (flight time) by 38 minutes taking 29 hours 50 minutes for the leg. Chalkie’s average speed 200.7 mph or 174.5 ktas
On the Capetown to London leg Henshaw took 30 hours 51 minutes flight time averaging 206.4 or 179.47 ktas. Chalkie beat the flight time by 1 hour 18 minutes taking 29 hours and 33 minutes. Chalkies average speed was 201.74 mph or 175 ktas.
The above figures show that the Mew Gull was faster than the Osprey but Henshaw flew approximately 342 miles further on his more Westerly track.
So in essence Chalkie flew a more efficient Great Circle route and he stopped less. Interestingly the Osprey was not as fast as anticipated at around 175 ktas average.
Based on the above London Capetown leg and assuming that Steve’s performance figures are correct, by flying the “Chalkie” route at an average of 170 ktas (slower yes) but stopping less (twice) and assuming 2 hour stops the RV7 should do it in 34 hours and 53 minutes or 30 hours 53 minutes flight time as opposed to 36 hours 16 minutes and 29 hours 50 minutes for Chalkie.
The RV7 G-IIXF is not 15 kts slower than the GP4 based on testing and the above figures.
Notwithstanding all the above, I think Chalkie has done a superb job and I look forward to flight following on the website in October. By my reckoning AH will zoom ahead followed by the GP4 but as the 2 lead aircraft pull up for fuel just keep an eye on the RV7 which with luck and no bureaucrats will slowly but surely edge in front. Arriving in Capetown 1 hour and 23 minutes ahead of Chalkie. Then sleep and repeat Northbound. All will have to run on rails, the weather will have to be fair and a myriad of events will have to take place before success is possible. One thing for sure if the bureaucrats let the British bird fly then it will be a race to watch and with today’s technology we can all do it together on the web.
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Henshaw Challenge
Hi Steve / All,
Much has been said about 'Chalkie's flight,' most positive (aside from 'Digitalsound' on the African Aviation posting on Pprune, perhaps too much bass fused the two brain cells he had)
ZU-CLC, an Osprey GP4 was designed to be neutrally stable to enhance performance and being built of wood with retractable gear, is 100kg heavier than an RV-7 and for this reason could only carry 378 liters of fuel plus survival equipment / legal docs / food etc. The main spar of the GP4 is stressed to +10 / -6 G at 2400 lbs; that is only the spar, the completed wing is stronger so perhaps this would explain the 100 kg more. The GP4 was cruised at 2380 rpm as it has a vibration node between 2400 and 2450, just the spot that would be the prefferred rpm and of course 2380 resulted in an economical fuel burn.
It has taken more than 70 years for a challenger to rise to the 'Henshaw Challenge' and finally the record has been broken. Times could have been better, but bureaucracy won on the day and I do wish Steve the best of British luck. Steve still has a fight ahead of him to convince the CAA / LAA that homebuilts should be allowed to fly IFR; after all, most homebuilts are better equipped for IFR than many Cessnas / Pipers et al. Now that a South African aircraft holds the record, perhaps this is the catylist needed for the British homebuilder's group to stand together and take on the CAA. Flying Lawyer, are you going to lead the way?
In South Africa we sure have more VFR days than the UK and we are allowed to register our aircraft for day / night IFR, provided the aircraft owner / pilot has an IF Rating. Flying IFR in Europe with a South African homebuilt is legal as CLC is registered in the RSA and approved for IFR and if the aircraft is deemed to be safe in the RSA, it is safe in the 'neighbour's airspace' too. In 2003 I flew my RV-6 IFR into the UK and when ATC requested "aircraft type" it was a pleasure to announce "Romeo Victor 6" which was followed by silence...
So if a South African or American homebuilt can fly IFR in Europe, why not a local aircraft?
When Steve attempts to better my record, I will be there to assist him and perhaps submit a flight plan to Madagascar...
Regards, Chalkie.
Much has been said about 'Chalkie's flight,' most positive (aside from 'Digitalsound' on the African Aviation posting on Pprune, perhaps too much bass fused the two brain cells he had)
ZU-CLC, an Osprey GP4 was designed to be neutrally stable to enhance performance and being built of wood with retractable gear, is 100kg heavier than an RV-7 and for this reason could only carry 378 liters of fuel plus survival equipment / legal docs / food etc. The main spar of the GP4 is stressed to +10 / -6 G at 2400 lbs; that is only the spar, the completed wing is stronger so perhaps this would explain the 100 kg more. The GP4 was cruised at 2380 rpm as it has a vibration node between 2400 and 2450, just the spot that would be the prefferred rpm and of course 2380 resulted in an economical fuel burn.
It has taken more than 70 years for a challenger to rise to the 'Henshaw Challenge' and finally the record has been broken. Times could have been better, but bureaucracy won on the day and I do wish Steve the best of British luck. Steve still has a fight ahead of him to convince the CAA / LAA that homebuilts should be allowed to fly IFR; after all, most homebuilts are better equipped for IFR than many Cessnas / Pipers et al. Now that a South African aircraft holds the record, perhaps this is the catylist needed for the British homebuilder's group to stand together and take on the CAA. Flying Lawyer, are you going to lead the way?
In South Africa we sure have more VFR days than the UK and we are allowed to register our aircraft for day / night IFR, provided the aircraft owner / pilot has an IF Rating. Flying IFR in Europe with a South African homebuilt is legal as CLC is registered in the RSA and approved for IFR and if the aircraft is deemed to be safe in the RSA, it is safe in the 'neighbour's airspace' too. In 2003 I flew my RV-6 IFR into the UK and when ATC requested "aircraft type" it was a pleasure to announce "Romeo Victor 6" which was followed by silence...
So if a South African or American homebuilt can fly IFR in Europe, why not a local aircraft?
When Steve attempts to better my record, I will be there to assist him and perhaps submit a flight plan to Madagascar...
Regards, Chalkie.
Rainbow Chaser
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I will be there to assist him and perhaps submit a flight plan to Madagascar
How are you feeling? I read that you would recommend a better seat cushion?!!
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I coudn't get that podcast link to open, so here's the full link for others that had the same problem: http://www.pod702.co.za/podcast/best...511Dosbest.mp3