Circum-Polar Quest Completes Recife-Punta Arenas Leg
Awaiting just the right conditions, globe-girdling Lancair IV pilot, Bill Harrelson, made the LONG over-water trip from Recife, Brazil, to Punta Arenas, Chile... where he prepares for one of the most challenging and potentially hazardous legs of the journey. The 28,000 hour aviator did do an interesting TV interview (http://rob.com/lancair/2013.03/n6zq.mp4) in Brazil but otherwise spent his time resting up and preparing the path ahead.
The leg from Recife to Punta Arenas appeared to go well (based on the data presented from Spidertracks)... with N6ZQ spending most go the flight between 10,500 and 12,500 feet... but with apparent headwinds producing groundspeeds as slow as 146 knots (though things seemed to improve as he drew closer to Chile) and his landing at SCCI (Presidente Carlos Ibáñez del Campo International Airport).
There's been a bit of fog in the SCCI area through the middle part of Sunday (to be expected with only a 2-4 degree dew point spread), but temps are warming and we're watching the South Polar weather with great anticipation. SCCI is currently reporting 'CAVOK' but the South Polar region is not only difficult to forecast but can change conditions with great rapidity.
Still... Bill has proven that he knows how to take such challenges on... as we noted previously, after a recent flight (Guam to KJAX, Jacksonville, FL) that may make him the top dog in all the world as far as long distance flights in single-engine piston powered aircraft go, Bill Harrelson's homebuilt Lancair IV left Bangor, Maine, a few days back, navigated the 3658 nm leg to Recife and made it to Chile Sunday morning. Harrelson is possibly one of the highest time Lancair pilots in the world with thousands of hours in the breed.
He's already accomplished some amazing things... and in just the last few weeks. We're told that Bill's recent flight from Guam to KJAX is more than the simple record setter we supposed, as we're told that, '...Previous to this the longest single engine flights in history belonged to Max Conrad and Peter Wilkins.... The longest flight with a single jet engine of course belongs to Steve Fosset in his Global Flyer, but Bill's flight puts him in damned good company.'
Indeed.
As we reported; Harrelson's plans are to hop around the world in a few, VERY long segments... Bangor, ME -- Recife, Brazil -- Punta Arenas, Chile -- Christchurch, New Zealand -- Honolulu, HI -- Fairbanks, AK and back to Bangor, ME. We also understand and have been informed, directly, that the story we did on the difficulties he experienced in maintaining his insurance coverage resulted in enough exposure to draw the attention of another insurer... who has apparently insured this trip!
According to Bill's wife, Sue (also a VERY accomplished pilot), the Harrelsons have expressed, "Many thanks to Nationair for coming through with worldwide insurance for this record attempt!"
For its part, Nationair told ANN late yesterday, that, "For more than 35 years NationAir has been serving clients with their aviation insurance needs. We are also the LOBO preferred broker. Due to our familiarity and expertise with Lancair aircraft we were able to convince an aviation underwriter to insure Mr. Harrelson's Lancair IV for this unique situation and then thereafter. We think this trip he is doing is fantastic and a great positive story in aviation today." Wow... an insurance company that thinks things like this trip are cool... imagine that -- good for them.
ANN will update this story as information presents itself, but you can check his progress for yourself by monitoring either tracking link in the FMI, below.
Experienced Lancair jock, Jeff Edwards, notes that watching the progress of Bill's journey is, "Kinda like watching Lindbergh."
Godspeed, Bill Harrelson!!!
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