The Dash |
What is the current world record and how are we going to break it?
An around the world record is the total time for the flight from take-off to landing at the initial departure airport. All ground time is included with the flight time.
The current westbound record was set in May 1988 in a Beechcraft Bonanza and is 54.6mph.
The Route page has more details, but in a nut shell, only 9 stops will be made for refueling. All sleeping and eating will be done in the plane in shifts.
With favorable winds and quick turn-arounds at each ground stop, the new record should be over 140 mph. That's around the world in a single engine plane in 7 days.
Mooney Specifications
200 hp Lycoming engine
155 knots cruising speed
10 gallons/hr. avgas
2 seats (normally 4)
Fuel tank replacing rear seats
For more information on the current world records, click here.
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Podcast |
| ELITE Marketing Director interviews Carol Ann on June 13, 2008. |
Listen:
Visit flyelite.com for more information.
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The Route |
From central Florida, non-stop across the United States to San Diego, California.
After a quick gas stop and supply replenishments our duo will set out for Lihue, Hawaii, approximately 16 hours of flying with good tailwinds.
Leaving Hawaii, their second longest leg is ahead of them, 3202 nautical miles to Guam. They should catch 25 to 30 knot tail winds to help them along. There will be a time and distance check during this leg at which time they might decide to deviate to an extra stop in the Marshall Islands, if necessary.
After Guam they'll head for Thailand, another 2618 nautical miles, almost 3000 statute miles, where they will be met by friends, which is always helpful in a foreign country. This is especially important on this trip to facilitate re-fueling and landing and departure paperwork. An oil and filter change and engine check will be performed during this stop and maybe our pilots will be lucky enough to fit in a shower.
Leaving Thailand, our pilots have a long leg across India to Oman then will head down the Gulf of Aden to Djibouti.
Crossing Africa they will only stop once in Bamako, Mali, then fly to the Cape Verde Islands off the west coast of Africa. This is a regular jumping off point for sailors and pilots crossing the Atlantic Ocean. With good tailwinds, they will be on their longest non-stop leg, 3303 nautical miles, directly home to Florida. If a low pressure develops during their trip and brings headwinds, they'll have one more stop in the Caribbean, then a short 7 hour final leg home.
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The Weather and Logistics |
The most benign weather around the world in these regions occurs between November and January. Storms and rain are at a minimum, winds are predominantly easterly at the planned route latitudes, and the temperatures are at their coolest.
Therefore this world record attempt is planned for late November or early December 2008.
The two areas with the most questionable winds are across the U.S. and over the Indian Ocean. However, these are also the shorter legs and are not an issue for endurance. Ground crew in various locations around the world will be in contact with the pilots via satellite phone regarding winds, flight plan filing, and any flight plan revisions. Other ground crews will be meeting the pilots at each stop to insure that re-fueling and ground handling are available and to facilitate turn-around time. |
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