The Russians are coming!
 

It takes a lot to impress me, but this is just incredible... Fedor Konyukhov lifted off from Northam in WA 11 days ago on an attempt to break the speed record for a circumnavigation around the world (he has to cross Northam inside 13 days). Stunningly, he's now 200km south-west of Perth doing 80kms/hr tracking straight towards Northam. A true adventurer... :D http://www.smilies.our-local.co.uk/i...es/worship.gif

http://s31.postimg.org/tjgtdme5n/Balloon.jpg

http://s31.postimg.org/v3qqprbxn/balloon2.jpg

Follow him here:
Around the world on roziere balloon - ????? ???????

Geez, I bet it got a bit cold between South Africa and WA. :ooh: Its just been snowing here and thats at sea-level. :{

Must admit I had forgotten about this. Hope nothing goes wrong on the last lap. :ok:

He will be okay, but he will have to hold OCTA pending clearance!

Freezing level at 1500', down your way PLovett- not out sun baking today?

Fedor. Is now visible from Perth if you look up

Now over Nedlands at 21,000'

Just over the top of Perth tower as we told fedor when he left Northam this was the best place to be- clear of approach and departure traffic.

I've been regularly monitoring his progress, impressed with how much speed he has picked up in the past few days. Thought he wouldn't have made WA until early next week.

How much lateral control (track) does he have?

Very interesting and a impressive achievement! We need more aviators like this!!!

Going over Perth very much luck. Fedor can climb and descend upon advice from experts here at the Northam control centre. Hopefully land before dark . Very difficult to get such a large balloon down safely .

I'm so impressed of how he navigated to within a mile of Northam according to FlightRadar although at altitude. How do you balloon pilots do it? Great to see him fly over Perth before the cloud set in. Land Safely!

Gobsmacked that he made it back so close to his departure point, I have been watching at intervals and then got right into it when he detoured off toward the penguins - windyty showed the southern Indian Ocean as a bit of a mess and I reckoned he would be doing well to hit the big island somewhere (anywhere!) along the southern coast. Fantastic achievement.

Flew right past him on departure; mind-blowing to think a man was in that thing hanging in the sky for 11 days. Now down at Bonnie Rock. Well done.

очень хорошо, жизнь малина для Фёдор :)

Bloggs, were you on your way to Darwin by any chance when you saw Fedor on departure? If so I was in the back looking!

Nah Duck, going somewhere else northerly... ATC called your aircraft to advise you were passing Fedor. Didn't you get a PA from the front end?? := :E

We had a small window of opportunity to see him as he approached the coast but he disappeared behind the clouds as soon is it a was over the top of Nedlands.
I was also pretty impressed by how close he got to his lift off point According to the tracking on flight radar he was with in about a half a nautical mile
I wonder what odds the bookies would have given for that

Now, before I'm crucified, I'm not taking anything away from this achievement, it certainly was not without considerable risk and required resources, planning and execution beyond my imagination. It is worthy of praise and well done to all involved.


My query is, though, was this really a "circumnavigation" seeing that the flight remained entirely in relatively high latitudes. My understanding is that a circumnavigation would require passing though (or over) points that are antipodal.


To illustrate my point, if someone was in Antarctica and strolled around the south pole along latitude 89 degrees south then they've certainly crossed all the meridians, but is it a circumnavigation?

His route followed that of Steve Fossett, more or less, so his record time was pretty remarkable.

Flak jacket on!!!!

I'll jump in the bunker with you Zanzi. Yep a truly great achievement - but surely the latitude of circumnavigation must come into the definition somewhere. If I go down to 89 59 south and do a quick trot around, can I claim the fastest circumnavigation?


I feel a bit ashamed that maybe I'm knocking a fabulous exploit - but it is a point worthy of discussion.


And to continue my slight cynicism - recent events of young guys flying the globe in very modern Cirrus aircraft with fully coupled uber accurate nav systems. Ive circled the globe many times in biz jets. Ive had to handle all paperwork requirements - overfly, landing permits, customs and immigration etc etc. My aircraft was 15 years older, but it did have 2 engines and goes faster. Other than that - what is the difference between me and them? Take off, plug in autopilot and let modern, reliable aircraft do the rest. I think in this day and age of incredible aircraft technology, the way to do something truly epic is to go back and do it in something vintage and basic.


Think I'd better get underneath you in the bunker Zanzi.

15 inches at idle Trev.

Good call Don - lets do a circumnavigation in the bou - will be even slower than a balloon. Record breaking - slowest circumnavigation record, and off airways navving the whole way.


Heard your 50th bash was a good one. Catching up with the Fungulu Fish today for coffee. Cant believe you gave him a 380 command