He's doing well! We're planning to be in Southend for the arrival too; maybe we'll see some of you there :)

He's looking really good for the London-Cape Town record, and that'll give a big morale boost for the return...

Sam.

Sam, will there be a regularly updated ETA somewhere for Southend, so we can ensure we're there in time on Friday? We're flying in from Rotterdam and don't want to miss his return!

There's live tracking at www.followsteve.co.za, I can tell you now that the planned/hoped ETA Southend is 1405Z.

Safe flights, give him a big punch on the shoulder from me!

Sam.

You bet! :)

He's landed in Cape Town, a new record!:ok:

Just two more records to go now :eek:

Safe flights, Sam.

Excellent, it looks like a problem free flight so far. Just before the landing I saw 204 kts at 3,700 ft on the tracker. That is diving for the finish. :D

Katamarino,

G-XF is filed out of FACT at 02:25z
All being well, Sothend at approx 14:00 ish on Friday.

Just following from a distance but it is exciting to see results after all the hard work put in by the volunteers. :ok:

A quick update, and not be taken 'officially', but he's more likely to hit Southend around 1500Z. It's a take-off + darkness + large lumps of granite kind of thing:eek:

In any case, you'll have about 10 hours after his departure from here to get yourself to Southend with a bottle of bubbly (finger crossed).

Safe flights, Sam.

Hi Sam, depending on how long Steve takes at Brazza, Steve might still have some waiting time at Tam as he will not be taking off at night due to the Cumulus Granitus you referred to as due to high oil temp he will need to climb slowly (read high IAS) so will delay departure till daybreak.


Chuck

OK! Just hope I can get back to Rotterdam before darkness - they don't allow night VFR due to all the dangerous mountains here in Holland :ugh:

Hi,

I got up before the sparrows this morning to check real-time 'useable minimum' daylight. I reckon with clear skies he can get away at 0440Z, and 0455Z if overcast (like this morning).

So, extrapolating that further, makes an arrival in Southend of 1530Z - should be enough time to give him that punch and head back to the land of clogs ;).

Safe flights, Sam.

Airborne @ 1620Z. :D

Looking at the sat. picture for Africa, especially Nigeria/Cameroon, and I was wondering if he has any real time weather briefing service that can contact him inflight?

He gets phonecalls on an Iridium from the base team if there's anything really nasty out there, and his stormscope is running on overdrive for the ITCZ...

Safe flights, Sam.

Looks like he'll have to get through a small band of weather in southern Nigeria and then he'll be on the east side of the significant weather in central Nigeria that is over his southbound route.

misd-agin, can you show where you get wheather info for Nigeria/Africa?

Try Sat24
for a look at the sat picture

Floppy - thanks.

If Flies - I get it from a company(work) provided site.

Thanks, Floppy & misd. There is quite a bit of difference in groundspeed. 150 kts now vs. 180-ish earlier.