Around the World Flight
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Wally
Shortly after the last dynosoar died, I was flying a new Cherokee six for the RFDS in South Australia.
That aircraft had flown the Pacific on its' delivery flight to Australia.
When it had about 200 hours in the logbooks the camshaft broke and it force landed in the scrub. (I wasn't flying it that day)
It appears that that aircraft had flown the Pacific with a faaulty camshaft that no-one knew about.
Shortly after the last dynosoar died, I was flying a new Cherokee six for the RFDS in South Australia.
That aircraft had flown the Pacific on its' delivery flight to Australia.
When it had about 200 hours in the logbooks the camshaft broke and it force landed in the scrub. (I wasn't flying it that day)
It appears that that aircraft had flown the Pacific with a faaulty camshaft that no-one knew about.
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The MAM flight has landed in Accra Ghana. Looks as though they tried to fly from Ascencion Island to Namibia yesterday but did a 180 about 200 nm out from Ascension. Probably due to excessive headwinds.
Today they have obviously decided that Ghana was a better deal than Namibia. It saves a lot of distance and flying time overall and puts them back on their original route albiet a couple or three days behind their original plan.
That's two oceans and three continents crossed. Only two more continents and one ocean to go.
Keep up the good work Mr Lycoming.
Today they have obviously decided that Ghana was a better deal than Namibia. It saves a lot of distance and flying time overall and puts them back on their original route albiet a couple or three days behind their original plan.
That's two oceans and three continents crossed. Only two more continents and one ocean to go.
Keep up the good work Mr Lycoming.
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Looks like they are back in the air right at the moment, somewhere between Ghana and Entebbe. I thought they were going to land at a place called Boomba, along the way, but they went straight over the top, must be a good nav aid associated. they are almopst 14 hours into a 17 hour leg, with about 4 or more hours to go, only making about 95 to 100 kts so they really know how to pick the weather and get that bit extra stick time in the book.
These guys are doing it tough. I noted that they said that they had not used their Travel Johns yet. with an 18 1/2 hr leg from hilo to Mojave I am amazed they neither of them needed a p!ss, or maybe that doesn't count and they are only counting a major event as 'using the travel john'. there is no way i would be doing that in the front seat of an Airvan, Heavy turbulence tends to peen the end over and make the apre landing liberation just that bit more painful i am told.
They are due for another 100 hrly in Dar Es Salaam. (maybe sooner with the headwinds they are getting). they plan to be back home before they need another one.
I see that they are stopping in Bangalore to do a meet and greet with the head honchos of Mahindra (and Mahindra) who are major sponsors of the event and the new majority owners of Gippsland Aeronautics I believe. Take it easy on the curry guys, and wash your hand lots whilst on the sub-continent, lest you become in-continent.
HD
Good on ya blokes
W MK 2, . i once did a 1300 nm overnight, over water ferry flight and was greeted at the destination by a LAME with a brand new AD in his hand for 'incorrectly torqued cam gear retaining bolt' applicable to the engine S/N block that I was flying. They pulled the back case and checked... and it was finger tight. obviously that is sufficiently tight, but not by very much i suspect. Yes it was a single, no i cannot swim 650 nm.
These guys are doing it tough. I noted that they said that they had not used their Travel Johns yet. with an 18 1/2 hr leg from hilo to Mojave I am amazed they neither of them needed a p!ss, or maybe that doesn't count and they are only counting a major event as 'using the travel john'. there is no way i would be doing that in the front seat of an Airvan, Heavy turbulence tends to peen the end over and make the apre landing liberation just that bit more painful i am told.
They are due for another 100 hrly in Dar Es Salaam. (maybe sooner with the headwinds they are getting). they plan to be back home before they need another one.
I see that they are stopping in Bangalore to do a meet and greet with the head honchos of Mahindra (and Mahindra) who are major sponsors of the event and the new majority owners of Gippsland Aeronautics I believe. Take it easy on the curry guys, and wash your hand lots whilst on the sub-continent, lest you become in-continent.
HD
Good on ya blokes
W MK 2, . i once did a 1300 nm overnight, over water ferry flight and was greeted at the destination by a LAME with a brand new AD in his hand for 'incorrectly torqued cam gear retaining bolt' applicable to the engine S/N block that I was flying. They pulled the back case and checked... and it was finger tight. obviously that is sufficiently tight, but not by very much i suspect. Yes it was a single, no i cannot swim 650 nm.
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Dodo whirlygig. Clive Canning flew his Thorp T18 From Oz to the UK and back in 1976 but it was not an around the world flight. Close but not quite. His book Charlie Mike Charlie is a good read, particularly the bit about trigger happy MIG pilots firing at him in Syria.
At about the same time an American pilot flew another T18 around the world, so this may be what you are thinking of.
For the historians I see that the RAAF flew three Neptunes (42) westbound around the world in February 1957 to represent Australia at the indepenence celebrations in Ghana.
In 1960 3 RAAF Canberras (+ 1 Herc in support) flew around eastbound.
Apart from VIP flights I wonder how many other RAAF Round World Flights have been made.
The MAM guys are now in Dar As Salaam where, I understand, the aircraft will have an MR inspection before the next stage. By my count they are now only one day behind their schedule. A good effort. If the maintenance inspection gets done quickly they might even be back on time by Friday night.
At about the same time an American pilot flew another T18 around the world, so this may be what you are thinking of.
For the historians I see that the RAAF flew three Neptunes (42) westbound around the world in February 1957 to represent Australia at the indepenence celebrations in Ghana.
In 1960 3 RAAF Canberras (+ 1 Herc in support) flew around eastbound.
Apart from VIP flights I wonder how many other RAAF Round World Flights have been made.
The MAM guys are now in Dar As Salaam where, I understand, the aircraft will have an MR inspection before the next stage. By my count they are now only one day behind their schedule. A good effort. If the maintenance inspection gets done quickly they might even be back on time by Friday night.
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According to the tracker the MAM flight was airborne out of Dar As Salaam bound for the Sheycheles at about 12:30 Oz Eastern Standard Time. About 5:30 am in Tanzania. A short 9+ hour flight today.
The guys flew back to Uganda by RPT for a few days to further the malaria awareness aspects of the flight while the Airvan was being serviced at Dar. An interesting non-aviation post on the MAM website about this side trip.
The guys flew back to Uganda by RPT for a few days to further the malaria awareness aspects of the flight while the Airvan was being serviced at Dar. An interesting non-aviation post on the MAM website about this side trip.
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The MAM flight is feet dry over India with about an hour to run to their Bangalore destination. For once they had tailwinds on this leg from the Seychelles.
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After several days break in India the MAM flight is airborne again. Right now they are about an hour out of Phuket. Next leg is Zamboanga in the Phillipines.
Home about July 8th.
Home about July 8th.
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The MAM guys have been moving right along and are now in PNG at Telefomin. I guess from the PNG highlands it's all down hill to Bendigo.
When they landed at Wewak they had all but crossed all of the Meridians - About 40 minutes of Longitude short. They plan to enter Oz via Cairns for customs etc and will stop over at Archerfield on Weds 7th. Bendigo on the 8th at 2:300 pm
When they landed at Wewak they had all but crossed all of the Meridians - About 40 minutes of Longitude short. They plan to enter Oz via Cairns for customs etc and will stop over at Archerfield on Weds 7th. Bendigo on the 8th at 2:300 pm
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Looks like they are getting closer to home after a fairly long grind, they seem to have specially chosen a route that was afflicted by weather and adverse winds. I checked yesterday and recognized telefomin from the google map thing. I would be getting home asap from there and seeing mum and the kids (in that order).
With any luck I hope to catch up with the boys when they get back, I recon they will have some interseting stories to tell. I met them before they left and was very impressed by their preparation for this flight and the huge amount of organization that went this trip. It was much more than just a ferry flight that's for sure.
Good on ya boys, you may not get the homecoming that is provided for a teenage girl, but I hope you get the welcome that you deserve for such an effort as this flight and the anti malaria awareness program that you are supporting.
HD
With any luck I hope to catch up with the boys when they get back, I recon they will have some interseting stories to tell. I met them before they left and was very impressed by their preparation for this flight and the huge amount of organization that went this trip. It was much more than just a ferry flight that's for sure.
Good on ya boys, you may not get the homecoming that is provided for a teenage girl, but I hope you get the welcome that you deserve for such an effort as this flight and the anti malaria awareness program that you are supporting.
HD
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Around the world flight
The boys have done it !!!!!
Congratulations to both Ken and Tim for a sensational effort, and their safe return. I look forward to catching up with you in the next week.
Congratulations to both Ken and Tim for a sensational effort, and their safe return. I look forward to catching up with you in the next week.
