David Hempleman-Adams overflies Cape Columbia
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: Naples, FL
Posts: 373
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
They will try to make it over Cape Horn today, despite bad met report:
"expect frz levels to be near ground level in the morning, and 500 to 1000 feet during the day, rain/snow showers and brisk winds likely....a typical winter day on the Cape"
Hey Tony, the Atlantic, Africa and the World circumnavigation are all planned. Maybe 2 of them before the end of the year.
"expect frz levels to be near ground level in the morning, and 500 to 1000 feet during the day, rain/snow showers and brisk winds likely....a typical winter day on the Cape"
Hey Tony, the Atlantic, Africa and the World circumnavigation are all planned. Maybe 2 of them before the end of the year.
The Oracle
Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: Naples, Florida U.S.A.
Posts: 2,902
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Tony,
I have not crossed the Amazon Jungle in many years. I guess by now, it is a lot smaller and there are more places to land. I just remember looking at endless jungle where if you ever crashed, it would swallow you up, never to been see again.
Happy Flying,
Capt. Richard J. Gentil, Pres.
Naples Air Center, Inc.
P.S. All those people that cross it daily with Single Engine Planes are still "Daredevils" in my book too.
I have not crossed the Amazon Jungle in many years. I guess by now, it is a lot smaller and there are more places to land. I just remember looking at endless jungle where if you ever crashed, it would swallow you up, never to been see again.
Happy Flying,
Capt. Richard J. Gentil, Pres.
Naples Air Center, Inc.
P.S. All those people that cross it daily with Single Engine Planes are still "Daredevils" in my book too.
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: Canada
Posts: 1,085
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
A Date with Danger
Tony, obviously you have not received The Word.
This trip is not a normal flight; it is The Most Amazing and Perilous Extreme Aviation Adventure Ever Attempted.
In case anyone doesn't fully understand, I should explain that the Intrepid Explorer and his Fearless Flying Companion are in a Single-Engined Airplane.
If that's not sufficient, please note that it is a Piston Engine. 
Press Release: I will be doing some flying myself tomorrow, in an Antique Airplane. I will attempt Death-Defying Circuits, which are Extremely Hazardous, involving Repeated Landings (as is well-known, landing is The Most Dangerous Part of Flying). It is possible that there may even be some Menacing Crosswinds. Please alert the CBC, BBC, and fire and rescue services.
Charles Lindberg, Max Conrad et al. must be rolling in their graves ...
This trip is not a normal flight; it is The Most Amazing and Perilous Extreme Aviation Adventure Ever Attempted.
In case anyone doesn't fully understand, I should explain that the Intrepid Explorer and his Fearless Flying Companion are in a Single-Engined Airplane.
If that's not sufficient, please note that it is a Piston Engine. Press Release: I will be doing some flying myself tomorrow, in an Antique Airplane. I will attempt Death-Defying Circuits, which are Extremely Hazardous, involving Repeated Landings (as is well-known, landing is The Most Dangerous Part of Flying). It is possible that there may even be some Menacing Crosswinds. Please alert the CBC, BBC, and fire and rescue services.
Charles Lindberg, Max Conrad et al. must be rolling in their graves ...
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Vancouver Island
Posts: 2,517
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I probably shouldn't comment again but for what it is worth the Amazon can have its dangers, such as thunderstorms and inhospitiable areas where it would be very difficult to find you should you go down. I have flown most of South America on both sides and found the Amazon to be quite interesting.
If you are looking for the most unforgiving route on earth to fly I would have to choose the North Atlantic crossing, Greenland is without a doubt the most formadible place on the planet in my opinion. If the weather goes out on you and you have planned a fuel stop in Greenland you are truly in trouble...big trouble.
It is a relief to see these guys made it in spite of the risks they took.
Chuck Ellsworth
If you are looking for the most unforgiving route on earth to fly I would have to choose the North Atlantic crossing, Greenland is without a doubt the most formadible place on the planet in my opinion. If the weather goes out on you and you have planned a fuel stop in Greenland you are truly in trouble...big trouble.
It is a relief to see these guys made it in spite of the risks they took.
Chuck Ellsworth
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: Naples, FL
Posts: 373
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
MLS-12D, I love you Dude!! I think that your posts have been the most exciting posted on this forum for yonks. Please keep the good spirit going, give us some more!!
Join Date: Feb 2002
Location: Enniskillen
Age: 67
Posts: 479
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Yes it was a nice thing to do
No it was not really a dangerous flight
Perhaps if ShenziRubani was to drop in and chat to to MAF or some of the other Aid agency pilots who do it every day it would change his view on the important things in life.
Some people I know have to make choices most of us would not like to even think about.
ie. Do I fly in this weather and risk my life, the aircraft and the medical crew, OR do I let someone I don't know who lives 150 miles away DIE.
Those pilots are my flying heros.
Tony
No it was not really a dangerous flight
Perhaps if ShenziRubani was to drop in and chat to to MAF or some of the other Aid agency pilots who do it every day it would change his view on the important things in life.
Some people I know have to make choices most of us would not like to even think about.
ie. Do I fly in this weather and risk my life, the aircraft and the medical crew, OR do I let someone I don't know who lives 150 miles away DIE.
Those pilots are my flying heros.
Tony
Join Date: Jan 2001
Location: He's on the limb to nowhere
Posts: 1,981
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Well Tony,
Quite topical really....
"ie. Do I fly in this weather and risk my life, the aircraft and the medical crew, OR do I let someone I don't know who lives 150 miles away DIE."
I'd stay put and let the unknown person take his/her chances.
Recent accident from South Carolina where word on the street is other helicopter pilots looked at the weather and refused to go.
One flight nurse and a paramedic dead.......
Quite topical really....
"ie. Do I fly in this weather and risk my life, the aircraft and the medical crew, OR do I let someone I don't know who lives 150 miles away DIE."
I'd stay put and let the unknown person take his/her chances.
Recent accident from South Carolina where word on the street is other helicopter pilots looked at the weather and refused to go.
One flight nurse and a paramedic dead.......
Not so N, but still FG
Join Date: May 2000
Location: London, UK
Posts: 1,417
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
The ethics of rescue is a very interesting topic, interestingly covered in popular books and films such as The Perfect Storm and Saving Private Ryan. Do you risk the lives of five, ten, a hundred, to save a single life? It appears that most people who work in rescue choose the answer "yes", and I quite like that, whatever the strict logic may dictate.
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: Naples, FL
Posts: 373
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
TonyR,
I apologise but although I tend to look at Medevac pilots as heroes, and do believe that the MAF guys are doing a great job, I don't tend to admire charity given on the basis of religion. I admire the guys who do it purely for the sake of saving peoples, not in exchange of bibles. I have lived in Africa for over 30 years, and been intensely flying there in the last 3, as a passenger as well as a pilot and we are not too many would "admire" MAF over there. Other guys like Fr Pat Patten of FMS in Arusha Tanzania, or the pilots of AMREF in Nairobi, are real heroes. You know Tony, you don't have to do that job neither to fly in crazy conditions: basically when you work in these countries, you cannot really say "no", especially when you are a young pilot making hours for crap pay, whether you are lfying scared passengers or cargo.
I flew there, I flew in these conditions, we were flying up to 10 hours a day, daily, no days off, and I still think that DHA and Lorne are daredevils for what they have done: I do not enjoy flying in dangerous conditions (I know little things get people excited nowadays, especially in private aviation, but a frozen elevator trim and -20C of temp isn't the kind of thing the majority of us do daily) and I do tend to take those who do crazy things for fun "daredevils"
Anyway, for those who were following, mission accomplished, they just landed back in Punta Arenas after overflying Cape Horn.
I apologise but although I tend to look at Medevac pilots as heroes, and do believe that the MAF guys are doing a great job, I don't tend to admire charity given on the basis of religion. I admire the guys who do it purely for the sake of saving peoples, not in exchange of bibles. I have lived in Africa for over 30 years, and been intensely flying there in the last 3, as a passenger as well as a pilot and we are not too many would "admire" MAF over there. Other guys like Fr Pat Patten of FMS in Arusha Tanzania, or the pilots of AMREF in Nairobi, are real heroes. You know Tony, you don't have to do that job neither to fly in crazy conditions: basically when you work in these countries, you cannot really say "no", especially when you are a young pilot making hours for crap pay, whether you are lfying scared passengers or cargo.
I flew there, I flew in these conditions, we were flying up to 10 hours a day, daily, no days off, and I still think that DHA and Lorne are daredevils for what they have done: I do not enjoy flying in dangerous conditions (I know little things get people excited nowadays, especially in private aviation, but a frozen elevator trim and -20C of temp isn't the kind of thing the majority of us do daily) and I do tend to take those who do crazy things for fun "daredevils"
Anyway, for those who were following, mission accomplished, they just landed back in Punta Arenas after overflying Cape Horn.
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: Canada
Posts: 1,085
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I'd stay put and let the unknown person take his/her chances.
An obvious challenge is assessing the likelihood of the two risks materializing. E.g., if one knew that there would be a 5% chance of the aircraft crashing and killing all aboard (say, three people including the patient), versus a 98% chance of the patient dying if left in his or her present location, then the go / no go decision would be relatively easy. But I suspect that calculating those respective numbers is often a difficult, approximate and time-pressured process.
I certainly wouldn't want to make such decisions, and I too admire flight crews who put their lives on the line to assist those in need of medical attention.
MLS-12D
P.S. It's funny the way alliances shift on these threads. TonyR and I usually scrap on things, but we both seem to agree, at least in part, that many of the references to how exciting and dangerous this trip is (or now "was", I guess) have been over-the-top. ShenziRubani and I clearly disagree on the latter issue, but on the other hand I share his discomfort with religiously-motivated charity work.
One thing we all have in common is a love of flying.
Last edited by MLS-12D; 23rd Jul 2004 at 19:58.
Join Date: Feb 2002
Location: Enniskillen
Age: 67
Posts: 479
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
My view of this flight has not really changed.
I think it was a great adventure for those involved but, I think ShenziRubani has just over played the whole thing.
I got out the maps and from what I can see I could have done the whole flight in out TB20 without extra fuel tanks.
The weather is the weather where ever you fly and if you want to go you just have to suck it.
I am not defending MAF, they may pray before flying (is that a bad thing) but I have never heard them ask a person's religion before they agree to fly them.
I was just trying to get things into perspective.
Tony MAF and more MAF
I think it was a great adventure for those involved but, I think ShenziRubani has just over played the whole thing.
I got out the maps and from what I can see I could have done the whole flight in out TB20 without extra fuel tanks.
The weather is the weather where ever you fly and if you want to go you just have to suck it.
I am not defending MAF, they may pray before flying (is that a bad thing) but I have never heard them ask a person's religion before they agree to fly them.
I was just trying to get things into perspective.
Tony MAF and more MAF
Last edited by TonyR; 23rd Jul 2004 at 22:34.
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: Naples, FL
Posts: 373
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I enjoy this thread. TonyR, MLS-12D, I guess I'll have to carefully choose my words: I still want to think that this was a great adventure, I understand that it sounded like I "have over played the whole thing" and probably I have, because I am still convinced that this was a great adventure. I still think that it has been a great achievement to do as fast as they did it (we had a time constraint on this, the challenge being to arrive in Punta Arenas by July 21st), to fly the amount of hours they did daily, to have have those great mechanics work their butts of for 22 hours non-stop to change the engine, I think that some of the approaches they had to shoot were extremely challenging, I believe that the weather in the last 4 days has been specially bad, for the region and time of year. Yes, "the weather is the weather" but most of us would have not gone, unless it was for the job.
They are not "heroes", they didn't achieve something extraordinary in the world of aviation, yes, but they have done something good for general aviation, they have, like others, pushed the limits of a plane and it is a good feeling to see that we can still do this today.
TonyR -
I am sorry, but MAF do not fly people out randomly - I am sure that there are exceptions though - The "locals" have to be part of their "programs", they do a great job only for the communities whom they're involved with, communities that have accepted the bibles and be part of the Crusade. I am a Christian too, but I do not like the endoctrinement that is the main goal of MAF.
And come on dude, what's with the jetfighter helmet in a Cessna 206? Birdog, Birdog! People at FMS or AMREF, or the Royal Flying DOctors in Australia don't need to wear Maverick helmet to fly into crap airstrips in crap weather.
They are not "heroes", they didn't achieve something extraordinary in the world of aviation, yes, but they have done something good for general aviation, they have, like others, pushed the limits of a plane and it is a good feeling to see that we can still do this today.
TonyR -
I am sorry, but MAF do not fly people out randomly - I am sure that there are exceptions though - The "locals" have to be part of their "programs", they do a great job only for the communities whom they're involved with, communities that have accepted the bibles and be part of the Crusade. I am a Christian too, but I do not like the endoctrinement that is the main goal of MAF.
And come on dude, what's with the jetfighter helmet in a Cessna 206? Birdog, Birdog! People at FMS or AMREF, or the Royal Flying DOctors in Australia don't need to wear Maverick helmet to fly into crap airstrips in crap weather.
Not so N, but still FG
Join Date: May 2000
Location: London, UK
Posts: 1,417
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
More shifts in alignment (this is like playing "Diplomacy" in the Sixth Form: your fleet can have Denmark if my Army in Prussia can have Warsaw). I had not realised that Tony was referring to flying God-botherers. Aid pilots: heroes. Airborne Biblebashers: boo hiss (ditto all God-botherers of any description anywhere. Long live the Tooth Fairy, the only one true deity).
Join Date: Feb 2002
Location: Enniskillen
Age: 67
Posts: 479
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
FNG
I mentioned MAF because I have some friends who work for them.
I do not rate MAF above any other Mission or Aid agency, but I do know that they transport more aid and sick people than Bibles.
Tony
I mentioned MAF because I have some friends who work for them.
I do not rate MAF above any other Mission or Aid agency, but I do know that they transport more aid and sick people than Bibles.
Tony
Not so N, but still FG
Join Date: May 2000
Location: London, UK
Posts: 1,417
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Fair enough, Tony, though it is to my mind regrettable that they have to mar their good work by seeking to poison the minds of vulnerable people. You may have gathered that I am an evangelical militant atheist, who stops just short of believing that people with any form of religious belief should be put in camps and beaten with wire until they abandon superstition and embrace reason (either that, or be forced to fly PA 28s, but that could be considered too brutal).
Join Date: Feb 2002
Location: Enniskillen
Age: 67
Posts: 479
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
FNG
I do still go to Church so I'll say a wee prayer for you next time.
If you gave me a choice of the "Camp" or flying the PA28 I'm not sure which I'd take. perhaps something in between, like being forced to be co-piot with DHA on his next trip?
Take care, 'cause if I'm wrong about God I have nothing to loose.
Tony
I do still go to Church so I'll say a wee prayer for you next time.
If you gave me a choice of the "Camp" or flying the PA28 I'm not sure which I'd take. perhaps something in between, like being forced to be co-piot with DHA on his next trip?
Take care, 'cause if I'm wrong about God I have nothing to loose.
Tony
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: Naples, FL
Posts: 373
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
The Challenge is finished, they got 2 official speed over land records established in Canada and 2 more are pending registration in the US. 11,500 minles in 11 days. 1045 miles a day. Well well well. Not really what I call a piece of cake!
I landed in Buenos Aires this afternoon to pick up the plane. Beginning of a great trip for myself, in a part of the World that I don't know, and great for my logbook as I always enjoy adding new airports to my list. Of course the flight schedule will not be as crazy as those 2 adventurers.
I landed in Buenos Aires this afternoon to pick up the plane. Beginning of a great trip for myself, in a part of the World that I don't know, and great for my logbook as I always enjoy adding new airports to my list. Of course the flight schedule will not be as crazy as those 2 adventurers.
