Steve’s ETA Southend
……now for that ETA. Southend.
Steve is meeting headwinds over Algeria and his speed is down to around 160 knots. At his planned speed of 168 knots he will arrive Southend at 1525Z.
Gill Courage of Aerodynamics is watching the weather (a beautiful day over France and England with winds light and variable) but at his current rate of progress she has him arriving at Southend nearer 1600Z. It is likely that he will pick up speed once over the Med and then France.
What is nail-biting is that Chalkie Stobbart’s time for the northbound leg, Cape Town – London was 36 hours and 35 minutes. For Steve to beat this time, and take the hat-trick, he must fly the leg in less than 10 hours 55 minutes. At 168 knots he will have an elapsed time of 10 hours and 54 minutes!!! At his current speed he will be 30 minutes slower than Chalkie.
SO, will he pick up enough speed over the Med and France to recover 31 minutes and beat Chalkie?
He already has the London – Cape Town leg in the bag and at the slower speed will still take the round trip record – but not Chalkie’s northbound record. (For those of you who, by this stage, will understandably be confused by my arithmetic, the fact that Steve has spent less time on the ground than Chalkie accounts for the fact that he can still take the round trip record without taking Chalkie’s northbound leg).
All I can say is watch that sat tracker and will the winds to be in Steve’s favour…………….
I am flying my trusty Super Cub to Southend for Steve’s arrival so I may not be able to send any more messages, but somehow or other I will post an arrival message as soon as possible after Steve has landed.
What a day for Steve. What a day for British light aviation.
Martin Barraclough
03/09/2010 at 08:42
Well, I am in awe! Steve must be exhausted by his efforts, but also buoyed up by the light at the end of the tunnel!
It sounds like the ITCZ weather played games with him – were the problems of the wet alternator caused by downpours in Nigeria and Niger?
Sorry I can’t be in Southend this afternoon. Well done to all concerned, especially Steve. Be sure to give him a rousing, and well deserved, welcome home! A superb effort!
03/09/2010 at 09:19
We are all watching, captivated by Steve and his team on this epic adventure.
From many friends in Gloucestershire.
“truly inspiring”
03/09/2010 at 10:35
Sadly Steve, Jim and I cannot be there in person to meet you today. We have followed your trip every step (or should I say leg) of the way as have thousands of others from around the world. You have accomplished your dream and we wish you every success on your final leg. We will be with you in spirit – as will everyone at your reception! We’ll save the Champers for you. WELL DONE!
Anna, you and Steve’s support team deserve a long rest. It is the people behind the scenes that make an epic adventure such as this Possible. You are a great inspiration. Enjoy the celebrations.
03/09/2010 at 10:43
When he arrived in Tam the plane was full of water (rain over Cameroun and Nigeria), and also the alternator.
Nothing obvious when we took the cowlings off, so they were re-fitted quickly (if you can’t see a problem, then there clearly isn’t one!).
Handily, an hour in the Sahara dried everything out nicely and the alternator was functioning perfectly on start up.
Safe flights, Sam.
03/09/2010 at 12:33
I’ll be flying in. ETA 1500L
Bill
03/09/2010 at 14:55
I have been glued to the computer for the past few days and today feel a million miles away from you all….wish I was there to welcome you in. Nouj you are a legend! I am willing the french winds behind you and looking forward to seeing you both feet firmly on the ground. MONSTER hug! xx
03/09/2010 at 16:00
Congratulations Steve – you did it! A thrilling finish – and a nice base entry! We’re going to toast you and Anna with a nice single malt scotch – or two!
03/09/2010 at 16:01
Well done that man! What a supreme effort!
Look after him folks, he is going to be happy, but fragile for a few days.
Congrats to Steve and all the Cape Challenge team!
03/09/2010 at 16:06
Well done Steve absolutely terrific, what drama, even for us in Denmark. I am sorry we cannot be with you tonight at Southend but Judith and I send you our hearty congratulations on a job very well done. Your courage, determination and stamina is amazing, we are so pleased for you and all your team.
Best wishes
Alex & Judith
03/09/2010 at 16:22
WAY TO GO STEVE!!!
Wish i could have been there to see history made, Next time you are in town the drinks are on me. I can’t wait to hear more detail about the trip.
Dave
03/09/2010 at 16:26
Just amazing – I’ve had the whole office watching for the last hour of the trip.
Well done – Steve, Anna, and that hard working team.. Shall raise a glass to you all tonight !
03/09/2010 at 16:28
I forgot to add – I hope we see a modern version of the book ‘Flight Of The Mew Gull’! There MUST be some amazing adventures to tell, both from the ground and in the air. Please? Pretty please?
03/09/2010 at 16:47
Absolutely Fantastic. CONGRATULATIONS! Have a wonderful celebration this evening, you all deserve it. I’m reall looking forward to reading your book.
So sorry we’re not there with you all Steve. XX
03/09/2010 at 16:58
Congratulations! Congratulations! Congratulations! Well done on a truly magnificent achievement, all of your efforts have been justifiably rewarded. We are proud to have been of assistance to you with full engine support. What’s next? Have a couple of weeks off and we look forward to your engine rebuild in preparation for your next challenge. All the team at Ronaldson Airmotive Ltd.
03/09/2010 at 17:16
Steve, WELL DONE!! a fantastic flight well planned and well executed. that was one exciting ending. It was a pleasure to meet you and assist (however small) in Cape Town.
Congratulations.
03/09/2010 at 17:34
Well done Steve, what an amazing achievement. Congratulations to you, Anna, Martin and the rest of the team. I dont think that any of us have any finger nails left after watching the tracker!!! We are all in awe of what you have achieved and can merely guess at what you went through. Now do us all a favour and, next time, stick to doing that route in the A340! Again, well done from all of us at The Daffodil and at West London Models. All the best. James.
03/09/2010 at 18:19
Congratulations Steve. I had the pleasure to great you at your Cape Town arrival. Been following your amazing flight on the net, very well planned and executed. I am glad to hear that you made it safe home after your hick-ups with RPM, MAP on the southbound leg and lately the alternator in Nigeria.
All the best from Cape Town.
03/09/2010 at 19:02
Steve, I dont know you, but Congratulations from all the ‘Enthusiasts’ at Gloucestershire Airport(Stav) . It was complusive viewing following you flying the legs, with a nail-biting finish. Congratulations also to All your team, but a Special mention to Will and his team who turned you round in Cape Town. We knew you could do it, your Mum is very proud of you as I expect Steve is. Its on your CV now. Back to the Cirri! Will speak to you on your return. Chris.
03/09/2010 at 19:37
Congratulations, Steve, from all the staff at LAA’s Turweston HQ. Fantastic performance, inspiring. Great that the three records have been taken back by an LAA aircraft – again.. We can’t wait to hear your account of the trip, when you’ve recovered. What brilliant news to kick off the LAA’s annual rally at Sywell…….!
03/09/2010 at 20:15
Bloody good news, Nouj. Warmest congratulations.
Knew you would do it – never known a bloke so determined in anything he tackled.
Foregone conclusion that the records would be yours. Just wonder what shape the engine’s in after those last, nailbiting few hours !
Look forward to a chat when you’ve got your breath back, Steve.
Well done,
Bruce H.
03/09/2010 at 21:55
Congratulations Steve!
Well done, amazing effort. Hope you have a decent night’s kip now!
M
03/09/2010 at 22:08
Steve,
An amzing achievement for you, and Anna, and everyone involved. It was a privilege to be at Southend this afternoon to see your return and I know that all of us lucky enough to be there felt great pride for what you have achieved. One thing is for sure, your life will never be quite the same again, and as for the memories, wow! Enjoy your success, you have done a great feat of endurance and mental test. I look forward to hearing the full story in due course. Rick
04/09/2010 at 06:15
Absolutely fantastic Steve, not only in for the flight but all the planning and building you have had to go through to get to do it. Stunning
I hope you and Anna can now have a good rest and recover, you both must be exhausted.
Very well done
Phil H
04/09/2010 at 07:30
Well done Steve,
You were determined and well prepared and you and your team deserve all the Glory.Great acheivement.
Vic Norman
04/09/2010 at 09:27
Taking it to the line! and winning the prize.
A truly awesome achievement Steve, I’d love to hear about it when you wake up. Probably next week!
Dave
04/09/2010 at 11:36
Well done Steve. Very impressive and a fantastic boost for GA in the UK. I too hope that you get the recognition that you deserve for a tremendous effort.
04/09/2010 at 12:05
Nouj
Remember you waxing lyrical about the challange on our last Joberg trip…and all the hurdles you faced. Epic work sir, and by the team.
Many congratulations.
ET
04/09/2010 at 18:39
Well done Steve and to your support team. A great performance.
TONY
04/09/2010 at 19:38
Well done Steve & Anna.
Brendan & Allison XX
04/09/2010 at 19:39
Steve, Anna and all the crew, are there words in the dictionary to describe what an incredible feat you have pulled off ?? Well done, congratulations etc just don’t come close, but they will have to do for now !! See you soon when you get back “home”!. Bags i get the first copy of the book…….we’ll sell millions !!
05/09/2010 at 07:42
Steve, what an incredible journey and achievement. It was a privilege being even a tiny part of it. I would have posted this sooner but I’ve been trying to keep up with Will’s carousing; I wish you’d Sam down here instead – I hear he’s teetotal (now, at any rate). I’m overjoyed for both you and Anna. I look forward to hearing each and every gory detail of the trip when next you’re in Cape Town. Mark.