Preparing to take-off on test flight
Long-term RocketRoute member and aviation pioneer, Michel Gordillo has landed at Mario Zucchelli Station in Antarctica in the RV-8 plane which he hand-built.
It was the first time anyone has planned a flight to Antarctica using RocketRoute, and a uniquely flight plane to make the journey; Twin Otters, Baslers and C130’s are more typical.
Gordillo, from Madrid, is piloting his much adapted kit plane around the world the hard way - over the Arctic and Antarctic poles. Nobody has attempted to cross all the Antarctica, from one side to the other end before. It is also possible that this flight is the first one ever in Aviation, to have crossed Antarctica on a single engine, via the longer Antarctica diameter.
In fact, this is Gordillo’s third round-the-world flight. Besides notching up some aviation first he is studying the effects of black carbon particles that are affecting our atmosphere.
Michel Gordillo's THIRD round-the-world flight plan
The extensive preparations in Tasmania included a warning from Australia SAR that if he had to ditch in the Southern Ocean they would probably not be able to get a rescue ship to him for three to five days. He commented:
“That helped keep me awake!!!!”
Of the remote continental mass, he said:
“My first ever contact with Antarctica has been impressive. The area is of incredible beauty. A beauty that kills. It is difficult to explain the feeling.”
A flight plan to Antarсtica
Michel is using RocketRoute Flight Planning system to plan his flights during his journey.
The more I use Rocket Route, the more I like it. Planning is quite fast, once you become familiar with the software.
All the information inside is quite appreciated! The software is always being upgraded, so it becomes better.
His Sky Polaris RV-8 is currently sitting on two meters of solid ice below which lies about 400 meters of ocean depth. He has enjoyed a helicopter ride around the daunting landscape and hopes to take off in his RV-8 in a few days.
You can follow his remarkable journey at skypolaris.org.