That's kind of you, donardboy, thanks.

Ross and Jerry have now arrived in Corfu after a warm day's flying from Naples.

"Lost a few pounds in sweat through flying today - but we are totally buzzing!"

Keep it up, guys!

Will tomorrow introduce them to that traditional Greek query...

"WHA' EEZ YOUR DME SITIA"

...bellowed from the other side of the tower with half-a-dozen conversations and a couple of football games on TV going on in the background?

Has Brize movements section improved over the past few days??

Seven days?! Get a move on big man! ;)

Seriously, good work fella - anyone know how I can sponsor?

Ok and???
 

OK good on them for doing it but whats the big deal? People transit UK to Cyprus in small props all the time, Teenie weenie airways do it a lot three days. Or am I missing something here??

What's the big deal? Raising money for a good cause is a pretty big deal.

Lucky lads are currently enjoying a cold one each by the sea in Mikonos!

An excellent 3 hour flight direct from Corfu to Mikonos, enjoying the scenery at FL75.

Next stop tomorrow will be Rhodes, a day's break, then on to Akrotiri!

Good luck!!

So that would be one 3 hour leg per day?? Now that's really working for the charity quid!

I think folk would be more appreciative if they knew more about this 'daring challenge' from the DSAMO (the Witney rag's words, not mine).

Is he a low hours PPL? Is he scared of flying? Is he actually flying - why the other RAF bod with him?

Bit more info would perhaps help the more cynical to see that he is not on a free hours-build.

Whatever, best of luck to the team. Good to someone getting off their backsides for a very worthy cause - my money's in!

I'm not sure why there seems so much unreasonable negativity about this fund-raising expedition on PPRuNE?

Neither pilot, although they both hold civil pilots' licences, is an RAF pilot; Ross is an Air Movs officer and his colleague Jerry is an Air Engineer. Neither of them have experience of flying such distances in SEP Class aeroplanes....

Their sole ambition is to raise funds for the Oxford Children's Hospital. Comments about 'free hours-build' are wholly unworthy and unwelcome. It might have been possible to do the trip in less time; however, they are involved in various fund-raising and PR activites at various stops en-route and there is no reason to add cumulative fatigue to such an event.

This is the sort of trip which any RAFFCA pilot might consider. The fact that a couple of RAFFCA pilots have done so to raise funds for a worthy cause is exemplary; that neither are RAF pilots even more so.

All power to their elbows. Great cause (daughter #3 born in the JR), and they are getting some great flying in the process.

What is there to whinge about?

Beats cycling from Lands End to John O'Groats - sore @rse, horrible chav drivers to watch out for, and you end up in Jockistan :(

Charity the winner!
 

Agree with BE . Some of us for whatever reason do both our own jobs AND flying! Not a flying suit in sight! The guys on the exped deserve mega praise !

NM

I think that the problem may lie in the question "Wherein lies the challenge?". As I said earlier - it's the 'norm' over here. And I'm not an RAF pilot either - just an ex Admin Sec officer that decided to become one when I left!

European weather, French, Italian and Greek rules and regulations, negotiating with sponsors and making down route arrangements etc. A trip made by 2 private pilots doing something they have never done before.

Rather more difficult than just flying across your own country with a few intermediate landings.....something you do all the time.

I'm sure if the punters coughed up some more sponsorship money, then next time the boys will be happy to do a Bert Hinkler, and fly all the way to Australia.

Anyway - the guys are well ahead of schedule and have arrived in Rhodes, so will take the day off in Rhodes tomorrow. Hoping to make it to Akrotiri on Monday.

Should have been in Rhodes last night, I understand the Swedish Ladies Netball team were in town! ;)

BEags. If they are coming home civair how are you getting the company aircraft home?:eek:

Someone else is going out to pick it up, I understand.

Any way, I will be checking car parks again next week, so won't be here when they get back.

Ross and Jerry have now arrived at Akrotiri after a great flight from Rhodes. Very well done guys, enjoy the brandy sours - you've earned them!

How about doing it in (under?) a weightshift microlight.......

http://www.england-to-cyprus.co.uk/

Nice to know you can rely on your sqn oppos to greet you on landing, plus a few akt flying club chaps. Well done akt on providing 1 officer and a photographer for this world record epic. well done samo and jery glad the becks went down well