RAF100 EuroFox Flight from Britain to New Zealand!

[Dave Homewood]

G-GBNZ 100 years, 100 MPH, 100 HP, 17,000 miles, 27 million engine revolutions

As one of the last of many RAF100 events, a team from Royal Air Force are setting out to "Commemorate, Celebrate and Inspire" by flying a EuroFox ER light sport aircraft from Lincolnshire, home of the RAF, to New Zealand, to the antipodes. That they can do so landing only at former RAF airfields en route exemplifies the once global spread of the RAF, as does the fact that from India onward they have the active support of sovereign air forces which all share much common heritage with the RAF.

The team leader is Wing Commander Chris Pote (Tornado and Tucano pilot) who will fly the whole route, with Wg Cdr Kev Gatland (Tornado navigator), Sqn Ldr Emma Landy (Sea King pilot and deputy RAFLO for Scotland, Rachel Nugent (Met Office meteorologist) and Off Cdt Abby McGill (Yorkshire University Air Squadron) who will each fly sectors.

The LSA in question is EuroFox ER G-GBNZ, designed especially for the flight, with twice the normal fuel, an IFR fit to die for, and comfortable seats! Although fully IFR equipped, none the less all flying is hands on.
The most challenging non-stop sectors include Egypt to Bahrein, Bangladesh to Thailand, and Singapore to Western Australia and finally the Tasman non-stop.

You can follow this flight at gb-nz.com/ or at
mrcaviation.blogspot.com/2018/10/royal-air-force-100th-nz-connection.html
but I hope to update this thread daily from Saturday and am very happy to be PMed at <[e-mail]>


Copyright Adrian Pingstone

[jonathanpote]

Thanks for initiating this thread, Dave. I'm a neophyte: As far as rank is concerned, I am still on the bus heading to the recruiting office.

Jonathan <[e-mail]

[nuuumannn]

The team leader is Wing Commander Chris Pote (Tornado and Tucano pilot) who will fly the whole route, with Wg Cdr Kev Gatland (Tornado navigator), Sqn Ldr Emma Landy (Sea King pilot and deputy RAFLO for Scotland, Rachel Nugent (Met Office meteorologist) and Off Cdt Abby McGill (Yorkshire University Air Squadron) who will each fly sectors.

Five of them in that thing to New Zealand?

[jonathanpote]

Hi Chaps

The post below was put up on the GB-NZ website during the (Southern) night. A family member in England noted 2" of rain in the day, but hopefully things will get better!

October 11, 2018
Well, the great British weather has laid its first challenge at our door! The wind is looking to be too strong for a safe departure from the former RAF East Kirkby on Saturday, so we will launch the aircraft from Boscombe Down on Sunday. However, we will still be at the Lincolnshire Aviation Museum at East Kirkby on Saturday 13th October to formally commence the expedition. It starts at 1000 and it would be great if you could join us! We will be there until 1200 so there is plenty of time to meet the team and find out more about the next couple of months ahead!

[jonathanpote]

Hi Chaps

With the weather still foul in the UK, but they should get away soon. At least G-GBNZ is safe - it resides in a Cold War HAS, theoretically safe from a tactical nuclear weapon, the latter actually worse than British Weather!

This was posted on the GBNZ facebook today:

"The expedition was formally started today at East Kirkby, a former RAF Bomber Command airfield steeped in history - more photos to come, but thank you to AVM Gary Waterfall for this one with the whole team together, and for saying a few words to mark the occasion! Our thanks also go to Lincolnshire Aviation Heritage Centre for hosting us.

We will be attempting to set off from Boscombe Down on the first leg of the expedition as early as possible tomorrow, weather permitting".

[Dave Homewood]

What is the link to their Facebook page Jonathan? I have tried to find it but failed.

[jonathanpote]

Hi Dave

Here is the FB post for today. I'll try to get you the link, but all the grandchildren are at school or kindy (just when I need them...).

Sadly departure has been delayed by at least two days, messing up the planned rendezvous at the French Resistance museum and the reception at the British Embassy in Rome. There are six rest days built into the UK - Australia route, so two used already.

Per Ardua ad astra via pluvium (eventually)


Image may contain: sky, outdoor and nature
RAF 100 GB-NZ ExpeditionLike Page
11 hrs ·
From an airfield somewhere in Wiltshire, mist, drizzle and persistent low cloud. Disappointing. Yesterday we planned several options, Le Touquet, Lyon, Calvi on Corsica, but none are safely possible today. Part of aviation is knowing when to postpone; we'll have a look again tomorrow and keep you all informed.

Our team meteorologist, Rachel Nugent, explains: "A big change in the expected conditions has left the South West in this very slow moving frontal system for the past few days. The change was due to the effects of Ex Hurricane Lesley pushing into Southern Europe moving the system NNW rather than W and clear."

Which means it is drizzly and horrible, but we'll get out of here eventually. Watch this space!

[jonathanpote]

Hi Dave

gb-nz.com/blog-2/ gets me to the expedition news page, which has everything FB has, and more.

Cheers

[Dave Homewood]

I was hoping for their Facebook page address so I can share posts on Facebook.

[Bruce]

That will be:

www.facebook.com/RAF100GBNZ/

[Dave Homewood]

Thanks Bruce!!

[jonathanpote]

Hi All

Thanks Bruce for getting the Facebook link sorted out. I am in personal IT territory where the only thing written on the map is 'Here be Dragons'!

The tracker is on gb-nz.com/tracker/ and is now active.

As I write, G-GBNZ is on the ground at Lyon-Bron (Formerly RAF, USAAF, Luftwaffe use as well as French base), two days behind schedule (but with spare days built in). The original plan was to simulate a Lysander SOE operation, Tempsford- Tangmere (to refuel), Loire Valley (to obtain a fix and wind velocity), then on to a memorial on a former SOE field. That they headed off from Boscombe Down nearly 90 degrees off course suggests either serious navigational problems or that the weather en route was pretty unhelpful. More people have died this week in ex-Hurricane Lesley in France than in the Eastern Seaboard of America recently in their storm.

[gibbo]

Oct 16, 2018 11:58:45 GMT 12 Bruce said:

That will be:

www.facebook.com/RAF100GBNZ/

Cool, good on them!  I think someone should have a word to CAF & have a couple of T6's meet them out in the Tasman to escort them in... although maybe their speed might be more suited to the Historic Flight Tiger Moth! 

[jonathanpote]

They have arrived in Rome. A rest day (and reception at the British Embassy) was planned here, but they might well press on to recover a day. G-GBNZ is on 'Flight Radar 24' as well, as it has a full airliner avionics package.

Gibbo: The RNZAF is aware and involved, although I have no details yet. In fact the Air Forces of India, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore and Australia are also supporting the flight.

[jonathanpote]

I am not sure what is going on, but GBNZ is currently in Calabria, the 'toe' of Italy, hoping to reach Rhodes tomorrow. Since neither place was on the itinerary, I am assuming weather is raising its ugly head again. Chris should have been having a rest day in Akrotiri now, so is further behind schedule.
However, Phil, another of my sons, did Rome - Calabria in GBNZ and is now headed back to Rome so I hope to get a full update from him to post on Monday or Tuesday (I am away over the w/e). Per ardua........

[Bruce]

I wondered what was going on there - I had thought the tracker had died... the joys of long distance travel by light aircraft! hopefully they'll be back en-route again shortly.

[delticman]

Oct 19, 2018 15:03:43 GMT 12 Bruce said:

I wondered what was going on there - I had thought the tracker had died... the joys of long distance travel by light aircraft! hopefully they'll be back en-route again shortly.

On another long distant ferry, Steve Death departed Manado this morning in 750XL ZK-KEC and is currently tracking over the Sula Sea.

[bristolscout1264]

GPS tracker on its website: gb-nz.com/tracker/

[jonathanpote]

Hi All

G-GBNZ is now pretty much on time, even if in the wrong Country (I did not know they were going via Pakistan, but they are in Karachi). The third co-pilot, Wg Cdr Kev Gatland, is now aboard. Chris and Kev flew together operationally in Iraq, so it is very fitting they crossed the desert (nine hours plus) together again. Over the Med, an Italian Air Force intercepted GBNZ and made several attempts at formation (130 kts vs 100 kts)

I will happily PM anyone with the article I have done for NZ Aviation News. In print November 2nd. Useful URLs might be
gb-nz.com/tracker/
www.facebook.com/RAF100GBNZ/
gb-nz.com/blog-2/

[jonathanpote]

Damn. Left 'Eurofighter' out.