Earthrounders
Encyclopedia
Circumnavigation
Circumnavigation – literally, "navigation of a circumference" – refers to travelling all the way around an island, a continent, or the entire planet Earth.- Global circumnavigation :...
is a form of flying totally alien to the realm of executive jets and airliners which are specifically built for transoceanic, intercontinental and long-distance flights.
Conception
While researching material for a book about solo pilots around the world (a flight he made himself in an Aerostar in 1996), Claude Meunier visited Hans Gutmann in AustriaAustria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
. They discussed arranging a gathering of circumnavigation pilots – thenceforth dubbed "Earthrounders". The Earthrounders "community" was conceived to unite these pilots who are imbued with an adventurous spirit. They have sweated it out crossing oceans, mountains and deserts in a full circumnavigation of all the Earth's meridians, battled to secure landing and overflight permissions and pocketed memorable experiences in the process. Why are they so unique? Because in the 100 years since the dawn of aviation, only a handful of souls have made this challenging voyage.
Organization
There is no definitive registration process in Earthrounders for those who has flown around the world, since most pilots undertake the venture of their own accord, for the challenge or for pleasure. Aviation Earthrounders are surprisingly few, averaging just two per year in the 20th century. There are however guidelines that need to be met in order to be listed in the Earthrounders database.Specifically for Earthrounder's, light aircraft must be used. The light aircraft cut-off limit of 15,500 lbs/7,000 kg maximum TOW is the official figure by which planes are classified as causing only light wake turbulence
Wake turbulence
Wake turbulence is turbulence that forms behind an aircraft as it passes through the air. This turbulence includes various components, the most important of which are wing vorticies and jetwash. Jetwash refers simply to the rapidly moving gases expelled from a jet engine; it is extremely turbulent,...
(as opposed to mid-weight or heavy aircraft).
- Flights can originate in any country, but must terminate at the point of departure.
- All meridians should be crossed in a forward motion to close the circle (unless in a transpolar circumnavigation) but you do not necessarily need to cross the equator.
- Flying round in a circle over the North PoleNorth PoleThe North Pole, also known as the Geographic North Pole or Terrestrial North Pole, is, subject to the caveats explained below, defined as the point in the northern hemisphere where the Earth's axis of rotation meets its surface...
does not constitute a flight around the world. - At least one of the pilots needs to have been on board for the entire circumnavigation.
While they do not set a minimum mileage (as is the requirement for a pilot who wishes his flight to be recognized as a genuine, official circumnavigation by the FAI
Fédération Aéronautique Internationale
The Fédération Aéronautique Internationale is the world governing body for air sports and aeronautics and astronautics world records. Its head office is in Lausanne, Switzerland. This includes man-carrying aerospace vehicles from balloons to spacecraft, and unmanned aerial vehicles...
– the worldwide body responsible for recognizing flying records – the Earthrounders aim is to include genuine, personal flights undertaken in a true spirit of hands-on flying in the old-fashioned sense of the word.
Difference from FAI
For the pilots who do wish to have an internationally backed acknowledgment for their flights, Air competitions, and world travel, FAI would be the precise place for such records to be recognized. The FAI was established on October 14, 1905 and from its inception, the FAI defined its principal aims as being to "methodically catalogue the best performances achieved, so that they be known to everybody; to identify their distinguishing features so as to permit comparisons to be made; and to verify evidence and thus ensure that record-holders have undisputed claims to their titles." It is a non-governmental and non-profit making international organization with the fundamental aim of furthering aeronautical and astronautical activities worldwide, ratifying world records and coordinating the organization of international competitions. After a century of steady growth, FAI is now an organization of some 100 member countries, forming a strong network linking all those who participate in air sports worldwide. A system that coordinates the awarding and supervision of international competitions is one of the main tasks of FAI. Hopefully in few years Earthrounders will collaborate with FAI to help their pilots, air competitions and flight travels make it to the FAI’s Record Books.History of Aerial Circumnavigation
The first great flights were transcontinental flights, going over land so that emergency landings were possible if anything went wrong. As flight technology progressed people started flying across the Atlantic OceanAtlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
. After the first true global circumnavigation expedition, taking 175 days, was completed by the United States many European countries followed suit in the next few years. The first few flights took a western path, but since then the vast majority have taken eastern routes. The time to complete the journey has dropped from 175 days in 1919 down to only 4 days 8 hours set in 1977. Below is a list of interesting firsts in the field of aerial circumnavigation.
1919 – The First Transatlantic Flight : John Alcock and Arthur Brown (Great Britain) piloting a Vickers Vimy
Vickers Vimy
The Vickers Vimy was a British heavy bomber aircraft of the First World War and post-First World War era. It achieved success as both a military and civil aircraft, setting several notable records in long-distance flights in the interwar period, the most celebrated of which was the first non-stop...
.
Douglas World Cruiser
-References:NotesBibliography* Francillon, René J. McDonnell Douglas Aircraft Since 1920: Volume I. London: Putnam, 1979. ISBN 0-87021-428-4.* Swanborough, F.G. and Peter M. Bowers. United States Military Aircraft since 1909. London: Putnam, 1963....
.
1929 – The First world flight in AirShip : Headed by Dr. Hugo Eckener
Hugo Eckener
Dr. Hugo Eckener was the manager of the Luftschiffbau Zeppelin during the inter-war years, and was commander of the famous Graf Zeppelin for most of its record-setting flights, including the first airship flight around the world, making him the most successful airship commander in history...
(Germany) in a Graf Zeppelin
LZ 127 Graf Zeppelin
LZ 127 Graf Zeppelin was a German built and operated passenger-carrying hydrogen-filled rigid airship which operated commercially from 1928 to 1937. It was named after the German pioneer of airships, Ferdinand von Zeppelin, who was a Graf or Count in the German nobility. During its operating life,...
.
1933 – The First Solo World Flight(1933) : Wiley Post (USA)piloting a Lockheed Vega
Lockheed Vega
|-See also:-References:NotesCitationsBibliography* Allen, Richard Sanders. Revolution in the Sky: Those Fabulous Lockheeds, The Pilots Who Flew Them. Brattleboro, Vermont: The Stephen Greene Press, 1964....
.
1939 – First and Only known Flight from Asian Country
Mitsubishi G3M
The Mitsubishi G3M was a Japanese bomber used during World War II.-Design and development:...
.
1964 – The First Solo Woman Flight : Geraldine Mock (USA)piloting a Cessna 180
Cessna 180
The Cessna 180 is a four- or six-seat, fixed conventional gear general aviation airplane which was produced between 1953 and 1981. Though the design is no longer in production, many of these aircraft are still in use as personal aircraft and in utility roles such as bush...
.
1976 – The First Home Built Aircraft : Don Taylor (USA)piloting a Thorp T-18
Thorp T-18
The Thorp T-18 Tiger is a two-place, all-metal, plans-built, homebuilt aircraft designed in 1963 by John Thorp.The aircraft was originally designed as an open cockpit aircraft, powered by a military surplus Lycoming O-290G ground power unit engine, but evolved into a fully bubble canopied aircraft...
.
1983 – The First Solo Helicopter : Dick Smith (Australia) from 1982-1983 in a Bell Jet Ranger 206
Bell 206
The Bell 206 is a family of two-bladed, single- or twin-engine helicopters, manufactured by Bell Helicopter at its Mirabel, Quebec plant. Originally developed as the Bell YOH-4 for the United States Army's Light Observation Helicopter program, the 206 failed to be selected...
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Piper PA-24 Comanche
The Piper PA-24 Comanche is a four-seat, low-wing, all-metal, light aircraft of monocoque construction with retractable landing gear that was first flown in May 1956 according to a Piper Aircraft Company press release...
.
1986 – The First Unrefueled Non-Stop Flight : Dick Rutan and Jeana Yeager (USA) piloting a Voyager.
Equipment
Required Equipment includes: life raft with survival kit, survival suit for North Atlantic, life vest, HF radio (depending on route). EPIRB (Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon), handheld GPS, handheld communicator, handheld marine radio, batteries, water & food. Some basic survival equipment will come with the raft. Depending on the age of the plane and engine you might want to do a few extra things before leaving. Like changing the vacuum pump, tachometer cable, alternator belt, points, plugs, battery and tires. Also take extra filters, spark plugs and tools. Oxygen is also recommended. It provides an additional option to climb above icing in clouds if necessary.
Most Common Types of Aircraft for World Flight
Beechcraft Bonanza
The Beechcraft Bonanza is an American general aviation aircraft introduced in 1947 by The Beech Aircraft Corporation of Wichita, Kansas. , it is still being produced by Hawker Beechcraft, and has been in continuous production longer than any other airplane in history...
. Forty-eight used the Piper Aircraft. Forty-eight used various Cessna
Cessna
The Cessna Aircraft Company is an airplane manufacturing corporation headquartered in Wichita, Kansas, USA. Their main products are general aviation aircraft. Although they are the most well known for their small, piston-powered aircraft, they also produce business jets. The company is a subsidiary...
aircraft, and seventeen members used the Cessna C210. Sixteen Mooney
Mooney Airplane Company
The Mooney Aviation Company, Inc. is a U.S. manufacturer of single-engined general aviation aircraft. Mooney has been a leader in civil aviation even though the company has gone bankrupt and changed ownership several times...
aircraft have also been used. One hundred thirty-six have been Single engine aircraft, eighty-four have been twin engine, ten helicopters have been used, and seventeen of the aircraft used have been homebuilt.