7000 Mile Trip Is Just A 'Test Flight'

With midnight just past, and while sitting safe and comfortable at my desk with a German Shepherd snoring away at my feet, I must admit to some serious jealousy over the adventure that is taking place a few thousand miles to the West.

Yesterday, an intrepid aviator by the name of Bill Harrelson (shown here in his Lancair 320... built previously) departed Guam in a Lancair IV experimental that he crafted, himself, in order to seek a number of adventures. The 7000 mile journey is but a test flight for an even grander journey he has in mind and at the moment, he is cruising safely, doing about 200kts at a little over 15000 feet with the intention of making Jacksonville, Fl, later today.

Pilot and ANN reader Jeff Edwards sent me some details about this flight and the amazing guy who has been aloft for over a day... and still half a day ahead of him.

"Captain Bill Harrelson, a Lancair builder and LOBO member, is attempting a 7000+ nm distance record flight for single engine land weight class (C, C-1, d, I (Internal Combustion)) today from Guam to Jacksonville, FL-- hopefully arriving at Jacksonville International tomorrow at 1430-1500L. Bill, a retired American captain and his wife Sue (retired United captain) are no strangers to long distance endurance flying having built and then flown a Lancair 320 to Europe. Bill's purpose built Lancair IV with 350 gallons of internal fuel departed Dogwood Airpark earlier this week stopping at Gus Grissom in Indiana, Southern California, Honolulu, HI before flying to Guam on Wednesday. It took Bill 8 years to build his Lancair IV N6ZQ completing it in 2012. The winds are not being kind to Bill today and he must reroute over the states due to weather tomorrow, but Sue, his CapCom is hopeful he will break the distance record.

Bill is planning a circumpolar record attempt in March or October this year. His flight plan departs Bangor, ME, Recife, Brazil, Punta Arena, Chile, over the South Pole to New Zealand, on to Honolulu, Fairbanks and back to Bangor. Bill plans to do the legs back to back with minimal enroute time at his stops- shattering the old record. Bill and Sue have completed three homebuilt aircraft including Sue's Rans."

ANN E-I-C Note: With all the difficulties we've had to report of late, I just thought you'd like to know that one of the best of us is proving why aviation is such an extraordinary pastime... and why the people in it are often just as amazing... and why, with all we face, that this is a community, industry, and undertaking worth fighting for and saving. And when I see endeavours like this, I am all the more convinced that we can do so. --- Jim Campbell, ANN CEO-Editor-In-Chief

FMI: http://flightaware.com/live/flight/N6ZQ, go.spidertracks.com/fleetpro/public/zqpilot