Epic Moscow-NZ Helicopter trip! With Hobbits!

[ErrolC]

Via MRC Aviation
mrcaviation.blogspot.co.nz/2014/09/there-and-back-again.html

With special thanks to Jeremy from the fantastic UK based website Helihub, we know that the helicopters are being flown by pilots Evgeny Kabanov, Igor Rudoy, Alexander Kurylev and Alexey Murashov. The route is approximately 30,000 nautical miles starting from a heliport near Moscow and heading east to the Russian coastline, skirting just north of Kazakhstan and Mongolia, before turning south through Japan, the Philippines, Indonesia and onto Australia. The two helicopters then intend to visit various Pacific Islands including New Caledonia, Vanuatu and Fiji along with the Tasman Sea stop overs of Lord Howe Island and Norfolk Island before reaching New Zealand and traverersing the entire length of the country, no doubt taking in much of the scenery as seen on the various Lord of the Rings/Hobbit movies. On exiting New Zealand they will head back through Australia and Indonesia to Singapore, Malaysia and Bangladesh. Then its onto India and Pakistan to reach the UAE and Saudi Arabia before the home run to Moscow via Egypt, Cyprus, Turkey and the Ukraine.

Useful links at MRC.

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[ErrolC]

Due at Ardmore tomorrow
"There and Back Again" closing in on Middle Earth mrcaviation.blogspot.com/2014/10/there-and-back-again-closing-in-on.html

Sent from my D5503 using proboards

[planecrazy]

Here we go then, arrive on Lord Howe Island late last night, took off for Norfolk Island
around 11.00am today, would imagine on Norfolk Island now.

[Dave Homewood]

Very brave pilots!

[ErrolC]

They have just left Norfolk, which would make for a fairly late arrival at Ardmore.

Tracker

[ErrolC]

They seem to be heading towards Kerikeri. There is Customs etc there?

[area51]

Yes, customs cleared at Kerikeri and now, having departed their at sunset, they are trundling south to I guess Ardmore.

[ErrolC]

Just got in, currently near Warbirds, if their tracker is to be believed :-)

[FlyingKiwi]

Here they are at Ardmore earlier today!

[Kereru]

My early morning pic.

www.airplane-pictures.net/photo/473673/ra-06345-private-robinson-r66/

Cheers,
Colin

[planecrazy]

These two showed up on Lord Howe Island late this evening, thought they would be in
NZ for longer, they are over-nighting so should get some pic's tomorrow hopefully

[planecrazy]

Got a couple of distant shots early this morning, they took off just after midday for mainland
Australia into some pretty wild weather!