RTW Flight Will Cross North, South Poles

Two English pilots took off Tuesday from Fort Worth, TX bound for a journey that, if all goes to plan, wil bring them back to the Alliance Airport in 168 days.

Jennifer Murray and Colin Bodill departed from the Bell Helicopter plant early Tuesday afternoon, taking flight in their specially-outfitted Bell 407 as a crowd of about 250 people looked on, and cheered.

The Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports Murray and Bodill expect to land at the South Pole on January 9, and to reach the North Pole by April 13. The two should then return to Fort Worth by late May.

As Aero-News reported, the team's first attempt at the record failed in 2003, when their helicopter crashed in whiteout conditions at the South Pole. Both pilots suffered serious injuries in the accident... but vowed to keep trying.

"We really just need to get it done," Bodill said. "Otherwise, we'll be thinking about it the rest of our lives."

Murray, 66, is listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the first woman to circumnavigate the globe in a helicopter. Bodill, 55, is a two-time World Microlight Champion (he is the first person to fly solo around the world in a weight-shift aircraft) and helicopter pilot.

The two set a world speed record for helicopters during the 2001 London to Sydney Air Race.

Observers may keep track of the team's progress via the expedition's website, at the FMI link below.

FMI: www.polarfirst.com