Carol Vorderman solo flight around the world

[Eighteeteewhy]

Good luck Carol

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-35732...

[ecsrobin]

It's been in the pipeline for a while now so good to see she's finally setting off. And a good choice of aircraft although I'm led to believe all the planning has been done by operations staff rather than herself. I'll speak to my contact to see if that's still the case.

[Aeroresh]

Dont the gearboxes in those need overhauling pretty frequently?

[grumbledoak]

Good luck and all that, but...

How difficult is this actually these days? The airlines drag thousands around the world in cramped, smelly, misery every single day.

[texaxile]

Aeroresh said:

Dont the gearboxes in those need overhauling pretty frequently?

Dunno but they come with very impressive twin airbags...

[moleamol]

What aircraft is she doing it in?

[yellowjack]

moleamol said:

What aircraft is she doing it in?

Diamond Aircraft Industries - Diamond DA42...



...and it's only a bloody DIESEL, FFS! Won't somebody think of the Polar Bears!!!!?

[ecsrobin]

yellowjack said:

moleamol said:

What aircraft is she doing it in?

Diamond Aircraft Industries - Diamond DA42...



...and it's only a bloody DIESEL, FFS! Won't somebody think of the Polar Bears!!!!?

1.7/1.9 Mercedes Diesel engines at that

[CAPP0]

I logged quite a few PPL training hours in a single-engined DA40. That was diesel too. Bloody lovely plane. Really nice place to sit. Seem to recall it was reasonably fast, also had autopilot. It was quite a mental step from a PA28 (which I also loved) for a pupil, because you couldn't judge/set engine power by engine noise, the engine and gearbox (and pitch??) were computer controlled, so you could reduce power but engine revs and noise went up! Fooled me a few times!

[Impasse]

Good. How long is she going to be gone for? Any chance we could persuade her to do two laps?

[Crush]

Good luck to her and look forward to the to series.

Just hope it is a proper solo unlike a recent trip by another pilot.

[Penguinracer]

All power to her...it's a laudable ambition & I hope she comes through it safely.

Notwithstanding the twin v single engine debate on overwater stretches...I must be a fossil because I just can't get excited about the Diamond & Cirrus aircraft compared to a pristine B36TC Bonanza.

I get cutting-edge composite technology as applied in a "no-expense spared" application like the 787, but in a light aircraft I favour Beechcraft build quality in aluminium - rugged & proven over almost 70 years.
Tim

[Eric Mc]

Hmmph - I find the Bonanza WAY too modern.

Even a Piper Cub is a bit avant garde for me.

Only joking

I hope she does it. Even in a modern state of the art aircraft like a Diamond, it's still quite a feat getting a light aeroplane completely around the globe.

[moleamol]

yellowjack said:

moleamol said:

What aircraft is she doing it in?

Diamond Aircraft Industries - Diamond DA42...



...and it's only a bloody DIESEL, FFS! Won't somebody think of the Polar Bears!!!!?

I'd never heard of them but I really like that!

[ecs]

Aeroresh said:

Dont the gearboxes in those need overhauling pretty frequently?

The original Thielert engines did, the whole thing was a massive clusterfk. The new Austro engines don't suffer the same problems as the Thielert engines did, I think Mr Thielert ended up in prison too. You can also get them with Lycoming engines in them now, but Avgas is difficult to get hold of in most parts of the world so using something which burns jet fuel is useful.

[SwissJonese]

Good luck to her, would love to do something like this.

Those Diamond DA42 are lovely looking planes.

[ecsrobin]

They also do a multi purpose platform variant with a bubble canopy and longer tail winglets.

[ColinM50]

Good luck to her and I hope it all goes well, but at $600,000 to buy it I wonder if she's really bought the plane or leased it under some sort of sponsorship for the trip? Not that I really care, I think good on her.

[diff lock]

She flew into RAF Conningsby end of last week if memory serves. Parked it up overnight in the BBMF hanger along with the Lanc. Doing her air cadet bit as far as I'm aware.

Good on her for giving it a go.