Spitfire Circumnavigation
Thread Starter
Joined: Mar 2005
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From: Aus
Spitfire Circumnavigation
A trip of a life time. Wonder if TCT is providing advice and guidance?
https://www.silverspitfire.com/
https://www.silverspitfire.com/
Thread Starter
Joined: Mar 2005
Aviation Qualifications: Military
Posts: 6,563
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From: Aus
No need to cross the equator, the FAI rules - Aviation records take account of the wind circulation patterns of the world; in particular the jet streams, which circulate in the northern and southern hemispheres without crossing the equator. There is therefore no requirement to cross the equator, or to pass through two antipodal points, in the course of setting a round-the-world aviation record. For powered aviation, the course of a round-the-world record must start and finish at the same point and cross all meridians; the course must be at least 36,770 kilometres (22,850 mi) long (which is approximately the length of the Tropic of Cancer). The course must include set control points at latitudes outside the Arctic and Antarctic circles.
Joined: Mar 2010
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From: The Home of the Gnomes
A valuable aircraft it may be but the last WW2 fighter to cross the Atlantic was Berlin Express last year, so while a rare event, a long range trip is not unique. There was also a recent 5000 mile trans-Canada epic by a locally based Vintage Wings Spitfire, flown by Dave Hadfield, brother of astronaut Chris.
Good luck to them.
Good luck to them.
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From: Livin de island life
No reason it should be particularly difficult or expensive, assuming the donk keeps going. Avgas supply is probably the most challenging aspect but the route looks like they will have drop tanks to make the long legs, so there will be some flex in there.
Gnome de PPRuNe
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From: Too close to Croydon for comfort
flown by Dave Hadfield, brother of astronaut Chris
Look forward to following this adventure and the best of luck to the team.
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From: Iraq and other places
It's the hourly cost of a Spitfire plus the very large amounts of expensive AvGas it'll need that I was thinking of, as well as support aircraft and team. Well over half a million I'm guessing. That might be cheap to some but, to someone like me who pays for my own flying, that's pretty expensive!
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From: Bolton ENGLAND
Hardly a unique artifact. How much of the airframe will be original? Risk a reproduction Spitfire, why not?
Gnome de PPRuNe
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From: Too close to Croydon for comfort
It's actually a fairly original Spitfire having gone to the Dutch AF after WWII, then used as a decoy, a museum at Delfzijl, and after restoration from a somewhat derelict state it joined the Aviodome museum. It's been in storage at Duxford for about 10 years after being acquired by Historic Flying.
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From: Bolton ENGLAND
treadi...............
See what you have written. I was unaware of its history. So not exactly a "data plate" creation.
However the world is not short of airworthy Spitfires. If the owners want to risk it, let them.
As it is worth circa £ 2.50 million, suspect they take care of their "toy"...!!!
See what you have written. I was unaware of its history. So not exactly a "data plate" creation.
However the world is not short of airworthy Spitfires. If the owners want to risk it, let them.
As it is worth circa £ 2.50 million, suspect they take care of their "toy"...!!!
Gnome de PPRuNe
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From: Too close to Croydon for comfort
Not a dataplate restoration at all, almost entirely original I'd think. I totally agree, I think it's a fantastic undertaking.
European warbirds cross the Channel regularly and as Tay Cough points out, Berlin Express crossed the Atlantic safely last year, as did Miss Velma a few years earlier and Stephen Grey's P-51D back in 1980. In 1977 Tony Ostermeyer and a friend flew a P-51D both ways for a European holiday.
European warbirds cross the Channel regularly and as Tay Cough points out, Berlin Express crossed the Atlantic safely last year, as did Miss Velma a few years earlier and Stephen Grey's P-51D back in 1980. In 1977 Tony Ostermeyer and a friend flew a P-51D both ways for a European holiday.
SkyGod
Joined: Aug 2000
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From: Palm Coast, Florida, USA
What is the range of a Spitfire anyways?
Seems like a silly stunt and logistic nightmare.
Somebody flew a Jetranger helicopter around the world a few years ago,
no idea why they did that either. ��
Seems like a silly stunt and logistic nightmare.
Somebody flew a Jetranger helicopter around the world a few years ago,
no idea why they did that either. ��
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From: Livin de island life
