Fri, Apr 20, 2012
Touched Down Back In Slovenia Thursday Afternoon
For most, making a solo circumnavigation of the planet would be an accomplishment in any aircraft. Word came in Thursday that "extreme pilot" Matev Lenarcic touched down back in Slovenia after successfully circumnavigating the World in a Pipistrel Virus SW 914 Turbo.
Matev arrived in Slovenia Thursday at 1600 local time, landing at the Joe Pucnik airport in Brnik, near Ljubljana – the same airport where he began his odyssey. The initial plan was to welcome Matev as a guest of honou at the largest European aviation expo, the Aero Expo 2012 at Friedrichshafen, Germany. But because of bad weather and icing conditions it was not possible for him to cross the Alps. As the weather forecast for Slovenia was equally bad for the following 5 days, which might have prevented Matev from returning safely, he decided to head straight home.
Pipistrel supported this decision, because safety must come first. The company said in a news release that good fortune "favored us for the entire duration of the flight around the world and it would be unwise to push the luck on the very last leg of the way. We are convinced that Matev made the right decision and thus successfully concluded the most extreme around-the-world flight ever accomplished by such a small aircraft."
Matev Lenarcic proved that the Pipistrel Virus SW 914 Turbo aircraft is capable of crossing both the Atlantic and the Pacific Oceans, as well as the Indian Ocean. It is able to reach the extreme heights required to fly over Mt. Everest, and can withstanding both the drastically low temperatures of the Antarctic and the high temperatures and humidity when crossing the equator.
Pipistrel congratulates Matev Lenarcic on a job well done.
More News
Say Altitude Used by ATC to ascertain an aircraft's specific altitude/flight level. When the aircraft is climbing or descending, the pilot should state the indicated altitude round>[...]
Aero Linx: European Air Law Association (EALA) EALA was established in 1988 with the aim to promote the study of European air law and to provide an open forum for those with an int>[...]
From 2023 (YouTube Version): The Life, Death, Life, Death, and Life of a Glorious Warbird In 1981, business-owner Jim Tobul and his father purchased a Chance-Vought F4U Corsair. Mo>[...]
Also: USCG Retires MH-65 Dolphins, Irish Aviation Authority, NATCA Warns FAA, Diamond DA42 AD This summer, history enthusiasts will have a unique opportunity to experience World Wa>[...]
Also: WACO Kitchen Bails, French SportPlane Mfr to FL, Dynon-Advance Flight Systems, Innovation Preview Bobby Bailey, a bit of a fixture in sport aviation circles for his work with>[...]