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Antrim man attemps to fly around the world in a gyroplane

  • 23-03-2010 11:12am
    #1
    RoadKillTs
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,710 ✭✭✭


    A NORTHERN Ireland businessman has embarked an attempt to break a world record by flying a gyroplane around the world.

    Norman Surplus (47) took off yesterday from Larne, Co Antrim, with the cheers of hundreds of well-wishers behind him. He aims to fly 27,000 miles, stopping off in 25 countries, and thus becoming the first person to circumnavigate the world in a gyroplane.

    After high-fives with many banner-waving youngsters, Mr Surplus said emotional goodbyes to his wife Celia and young children Felix and Petra before climbing on board.

    Mr Surplus only took up flying gyroplanes after he recovered from bowel cancer, which was diagnosed in 2003.

    “The trip is designed to promote hope and encouragement for cancer sufferers across the globe. I want to say there can be a life worth living beyond the very real challenges of cancer treatment,” he said.

    The dangers of the record attempt are evident. In January, when Englishman Martin Bromage was trying to fly a light aircraft from England to Australia, he crashed in thick fog and drowned a few hours later, near France.

    Mr Surplus has been planning the adventure for more than two years. “The first gyroplane flew in 1923, that’s 87 years ago, and to date no autogyro pilot has flown around the world and it’s the last type of aircraft in existence yet to do so,” he said.

    Fair play to him if he can do it. Would be some achievement.

    Link to story

    GPS tracking of his flight


Comments

  • #2
    Cookie_Monster
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 24,565 ✭✭✭✭Cookie_Monster


    plans to fly 300 miles a day.

    how slow is that thing, even doing only 50mph thats only 6 hours a day?


  • #3
    Cunsiderthis
    Closed Accounts Posts: 471 ✭✭Cunsiderthis


    Cookie_Monster wrote: »
    plans to fly 300 miles a day.

    how slow is that thing, even doing only 50mph thats only 6 hours a day?


    300 air miles a day does not necessarily equate to 300 road miles. it could take 12 hours or 3 hours to achieve and depends on the airspeed.

    I've flown the same journey in a microlight from CAR in Africa to Uganda, and with a headwind it's taken 12 hours, and with no headwind I've done it in 5 hours.


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