Mooney Round The World Flight Project Amelia Earhart 1937 2017

[BCrystal]

15 minutes ago, carusoam said:

FlightAware is currently showing Brian 'near' Pago Pago...

http://flightaware.com/live/flight/N916BL

Best regards,

-a-

Brian landed at about 8:45 PM local time last night, at Pago Pago airport.

[LANCECASPER]

17 minutes ago, BCrystal said:

Brian landed at about 8:45 PM local time last night, at Pago Pago airport.

Wouldn't that be 8:45 pm Sunday local time instead of last night (Saturday) since he hasn't crossed the international date line yet?

[BCrystal]

I called Brian (WB6RQN/Aeronautical Mobile) via HF ham radio using ALE (Automatic Link Establishment) and we linked on 14346 kHz USB in the 20 meter band. ALE is similar to HF Selcall. He answered the call and immediately responded on voice with his callsign. It was about 9PM Pacific Time here in California. He was flying over the Pacific Ocean at about FL210 between Tonga and American Samoa. We talked for about 30 minutes on SSB voice, until around sunset at his position, when his signal started to fade.

My HF radio station (KQ6XA) location is Silicon Valley, California. The equipment in use for this radio contact was:
Transceiver: Icom IC-F8101, Power: 125 Watts, Antenna: vertical, with the top at 36 feet.

Radio great circle path distance: approximately 4500 Nautical Miles (8330 km) or (5180 miles), 

The actual radio path distance was much longer, via multiple hops bouncing off the ionosphere and the surface of the Pacific Ocean.

Great circle map of radio path between KQ6XA in California and WB6RQN Aeronautical Mobile over the Pacific Ocean near American Samoa.
 

Edited July 23, 2017 by BCrystal

[BCrystal]

5 hours ago, LANCECASPER said:

Wouldn't that be 8:45 pm Sunday local time instead of last night (Saturday) since he hasn't crossed the international date line yet?

The International Date Line passes between Samoa and American Samoa.

American Samoa is on the east (American) side of the dateline. 

Brian crossed the dateline "eastward" on his way from New Zealand to American Samoa.

He will cross it 2 more times:

1. Dateline crossing "westward" into Kiribati area, on his flight tomorrow.

2. Dateline crossing "eastward" out of Kirabati area on his way over Howland Island to Hawaii.

 

Edited July 24, 2017 by BCrystal

[HRM]

At least he's back in the US (sort of).

Safe flying Brian!!!

[LANCECASPER]

2 hours ago, BCrystal said:

The International Date Line passes between Samoa and American Samoa.

American Samoa is on the east (American) side of the dateline. 

Brian crossed the dateline eastward on his way from New Zealand to American Samoa.

He will cross it 2 more times:

1. Dateline crossing westward into Kiribati area, on his Howland Island overflight tomorrow.

2. Dateline crossing eastward out of Kirabati area on his way from Howland Island to Hawaii.

If he crossed it enough times could he make it back for Oshkosh .. lol?

[LANCECASPER]

He's almost to Howland Island, then to Lihue Hawaii

 

Update: He made it past Howland Island and turned toward Hawaii. ( 9hours and 8 minutes to go)

[carusoam]

<3 hours to go in this flight according to FA...

http://flightaware.com/live/flight/N916BL

 

-a-

[RLCarter]

What a leg

[carusoam]

24k' 199kts over the ground and one hour short of landing in HI.

http://flightaware.com/live/flight/N916BL

Welcome home to the US of A, Brian!

Best regards,

-a-

[rpcc]

I hope the mooney marketing department picks this up - its a great story on the capability of their product.

[carusoam]

Island hopping Hawaiian style...

http://flightaware.com/live/flight/N916BL

-a-

[BCrystal]

Honolulu TV runs story on the flight

Click here to watch video:

http://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/story/35971227/pilot-closing-in-on-completion-of-amelia-earhart-tribute-flight

 

 

 

 

 

[peevee]

dude, you can't leave lihue and fly directly to honolulu, man at least take a loop around. it's breathtaking.

[BCrystal]

Audio clips of N916BL with Honolulu airport tower on VHF

Click to play

 

Click to play

[carusoam]

+1 It takes an international community to fly around the world...  

The News story is brief, but hits a lot of important topics.

Thanks for sharing!

Best regards,

-a-

[Danb]

What an unbelievable accomplishment. It seems like a big deal for me to go across the USA, can't fathom a 17 hour leg. One more leg Brian all us Mooney folks are with you.

[Fighterpilot1232]

I'd like to circumnavigate someday, hopefully I can do it in a Mooney.

[HRM]

12 hours ago, Danb said:

...can't fathom a 17 hour leg. One more leg Brian all us Mooney folks are with you.

Ditto. Just phenomenal, phenomenal.

[BCrystal]

Kailua-Kona (Big Island) Hawaii, to Oakland is scheduled for Saturday. 

[carusoam]

Appears to be on the big island.... but it's still Friday, on the east coast....

http://flightaware.com/live/flight/N916BL

One more big hop over water to go!

 Go Brian!

Best regards,

-a-

[BCrystal]

Schedule update: 

Early morning takeoff Sunday 20 July from Kona (Big Island) Hawaii to Oakland California, with ETA around 11:45pm Pacific Time. 

[carusoam]

That has an interesting flight track!

http://flightaware.com/live/flight/N916BL

Looks like a loop around a particular earth pimple?

Best regards,

-a-

[Danb]

Probably a 360 for spacing

[BCrystal]

Flight update:

30 July 2017 Sunday.
Kona, Hawaii : ETD 6AM Hawaii Time
Oakland*, California : ETA 11PM California Time 

*Oakland was Amelia Earhart's original destination airport for her round-the-world flight in 1937. Oakland was also a familiar base of operations and of aircraft maintenance for Earhart over the years preceding the 1937 flight.

HF Aeronautical Frequencies for Central Eastern Pacific MWARA (Hawaii-California)
Listen for N916BL

2869 kHz USB
3413 kHz USB
3452 kHz USB
5547 kHz USB 
5574 kHz USB 
6673 kHz USB 
8843 kHz USB 
8915 kHz USB 
10057 kHz USB
11282 kHz USB 
13288 kHz USB 
13354 kHz USB
21964 kHz USB

 

click here for: Wall map 11" x 17" download (16MByte pdf)

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Edited July 30, 2017 by BCrystal