Mooney Round The World Flight Project Amelia Earhart 1937 2017

[Piloto]

Unknown to many, after the decommission of the SR-71 the CIA called upon Brian for world intelligence gathering. Who is going to suspect of a prop plane flown by an old crazy man.

José

[LANCECASPER]

53 minutes ago, Piloto said:

Who is going to suspect of a prop plane flown by an old crazy man.

José

That's why they've had Jose fly the North Atlantic route so many times 

[BCrystal]

Click to view: Photos of signatures on Brian Lloyd’s aircraft Spirit for the Project Amelia Earhart 80th Anniversary Flight in June-July 2017.

http://projectameliaearhart.org/signatures/

http://projectameliaearhart.org/signatures/

 

[flyboy0681]

Glad he took the time to get a current border decal. The feds may have given him a hard time  

[BCrystal]

YouTube VIDEO: Brian Lloyd checks out the cockpit controls and data logging systems in the aircraft "Spirit" after his solo flight completing the historic Earhart route at Oakland airport, California, USA, on 31 July 2017. The airplane is a Mooney M20K 231, with modifications to the avionics, communications, and fuel capacity for long distance oceanic flights. Project Amelia Earhart 80th Anniversary Flight. video

 

[BCrystal]

HF belly antenna on Spirit. WB6RQN / Aeronautical Mobile.
Constructed of Dayton-Granger aeronautical antenna hardware.
Photos: 31 July 2017 on the apron of Oakland airport, upon Brian Lloyd's completion of the solo flight of the "Historic Earhart Route" portion of the circumnavigation.


photo ©2017 Bonnie Crystal


photo ©2017 Bonnie Crystal


photo ©2017 Bonnie Crystal

[carusoam]

Great photos!

Wouldn't believe the world trip happened without all the signatures from various countries!

Grand Canyon today...  http://flightaware.com/live/flight/N916BL

Best regards,

-a-

[thinwing]

Looks like he is on vacation...a stop at Grand Canyon airport

[cliffy]

If I didn't have the FAA here on a 139 inspection I'd fly down there tomorrow and take pictures. It's only 35 mins from me. 

[Piloto]

I have my HF antenna on top. Good performance on the ground and in the air.

[aviatoreb]

I just gotta say - what a fantastic trip!!!!  Well done sir!  SOrt of makes me want to put this on my own bucket list.

I watched the movie "Dunkirk" last night with my sons.  Your trip popped into my mind when I was watching those hurricane fighters dog fighting over the channel without adequate fuel to get back home, to protect the ships full of sailers and army.  And I was thinking of you, while no one was shooting at you, even just the fuel and reliability of the equipment to cross large expanses of water, is nothing to sneeze at.

[HRM]

1 hour ago, aviatoreb said:

...makes me want to put this on my own bucket list.

Makes me wish I could put it on my Bucket List. Not going to happen 

Just a phenomenal voyage and I am glad he shared it with us the way he did and the fact that he did it in a Mooney!

[aviatoreb]

1 hour ago, HRM said:

Makes me wish I could put it on my Bucket List. 

That's what I meant.

[peevee]

Neat accomplishment. Not one I'd want to follow.

[carusoam]

Closing in on TX...

Almost home.

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

Keep flying the plane, all the way to the hangar!  

Best regards,

-a-

[BCrystal]

Using ALE (Automatic Link Establishment) I was able to call and talk with Brian several times via HF radio yesterday. 

It was 1705 UTC on 03AUG2017 for our first contact.

We linked first via ALE on 14346.0 kHz USB and Brian (call sign WB6RQN/Aeronautical Mobile) reported by voice SSB that he was flying over the Painted Desert of Arizona. 

Lat 35.845148, Lon -110.368522

There was a lot of fading during the voice conversation on 14 MHz, so we closed the link and I tried another scanning ALE call, to see if there was a better frequency.

The ALE then linked us on 18117.5 kHz USB, and the signal strength was significantly better for our voice conversation on 18 MHz. 

After a while, 18 MHz faded out, so we re-linked again on 14 MHz. 

Several other ham operators wanted to talk with Brian at that point, so he continued talking with them for while, as he flew over New Mexico, then landed for a short pit stop in Dalhart Texas. 

He then flew to Atchison Kansas, the location of the Amelia Earhart Birthplace Museum. 

 

Edited August 4, 2017 by BCrystal

[BCrystal]

In preparation to meet Brian at his historic landing at Oakland airport, I had a few paper QSL cards printed for him. 
I prepared one of those cards ahead of time for his signature in person: it was for an HF radio contact we had while he was over the Pacific Ocean near Tonga.

Normally, Brian prefers to use eQSL.cc electronic QSLs, rather than deal with paper QSLs. 
But, for this event, I thought this paper QSL would be a great memento to keep. 

 
QSL card of Brian Lloyd WB6RQN / Air Mobile confirming HF radio communication at 0415 UTC on 23 July 2017 with Bonnie Crystal KQ6XA on 14346.0 kHz USB ALE photo ©2017 Bonnie Crystal

[BCrystal]

There are still some Flight Patches, for those who want them. 
They are given to contributors to the flight.  https://fundly.com/project-amelia-earhart
It is the same patch that Brian Lloyd wears on his flight suit, a high quality sewn embroidered round patch that has velcro hook on the back.. 
Brilliant red, white, royal blue, with gold, and forest green.

Project Amelia Earhart 80th Anniversary Flight Patch 

Project Amelia Earhart 80th Anniversary Flight Patch 

[BCrystal]

Brian Lloyd, flying his aircraft Spirit, completed the circumnavigation of the globe today at 2339UTC 04AUG2017 (6:39pm Local Time) , landing at Kestrel Airpark, in Spring Branch, Texas, USA.

He began the circumnavigation flight at the origin (Kestrel Airpark) on 31 May 2017, and then stopped at Miami (Ft. Lauderdale airport) to begin the Historic Earhart Equatorial Route commemorating the 80th anniversary of the Earhart round-the-world announcement day, 1 June 1937. Brian's route included an homage overflight over Howland Island (as well as Baker and Nikumaroro islands), where the Earhart-Noonan flight was lost. He completed the Historic Earhart Route on 30 July by landing at Oakland airport, then visited the same location and building at Oakland airport where Earhart stayed at the start of her original flight. 

A list of some records that were set on this flight.

• First solo flight of the Historic Earhart Equatorial Route. 
• First male pilot to fly the Historic Earhart Equatorial Route in a propeller aircraft. 
• First to fly the Historic Earhart Equatorial Route in a single engine propeller aircraft. 

Throughout the flight, Brian Lloyd's consistent message to the world has been, "the early pioneers of flight should be remembered and honored".

More fascinating content will be added to the Project Amelia Earhart website within the next few weeks. There are a lot of videos, audio, text, and photographs still to be processed. 

Edited August 5, 2017 by BCrystal

[carusoam]

Welcome home, Brian!

You have really demonstrated how challenging flying around the world can be.

Thanks for sharing all the details.

Best regards,

-a-

[HRM]

Can't help but say it again...just phenomenal.

Texas-to-Texas by way of global circumnavigation, just great. Congrats Brian!

[cliffy]

Take a day off  :-) :-) You deserve it!

[gsxrpilot]

There will be pictures up soon. It was good to welcome Brian home today. Several of us in the Texas Wing formed up at San Marcos and flew with him the last leg to his home field at 1T7. It's certainly quite the accomplishment.

Well done Pinky.

[BCrystal]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - Download: PDF TXT

Brian Lloyd Pilots His Plane Round The World -

Flight Followed Historic Route on Earhart 80th Anniversary -

Spring Branch Texas, USA. August 4, 2017 - Brian Lloyd, solo-flying his single-engine aircraft Spirit, landed at Kestrel Air Park today, completing his circumnavigation of the globe. He was accompanied over the last few miles by an escort of pilots in eight planes flying in formation with him. On the ground, a reception and hangar party welcomed him home.

At the celebration, Brian Lloyd said, "How do I say, 'thank you' to everyone here and abroad who has helped me along the way on this epic journey? I couldn't have done this solo flight without the time, effort, and good will of hundreds of people out there around the world."

He began the round-the-world flight at that same spot on 31 May 2017, then flew to Miami on 1 June to commemorate exactly eighty years since the famous Amelia Earhart flight began. For two months, he followed the historic Earhart equatorial route, stopping at dozens of airports that were once grass and dirt airstrips where Earhart had landed. Some of those airstrips have grown up to become sprawling international airports, while others simply don't exist anymore, or are in the midst of conflict zones.

Brian Lloyd completed the historic route on 30 July, by landing at Oakland, California, which was Earhart's unfulfilled final destination. He retraced the steps of Amelia by visiting the historic building at Oakland airport where she had stayed during her original flights.

Brian Lloyd said, "I am driven by the spirit of historic flights. It is important to remember the aviation pioneers like Amelia Earhart, and their contributions to aviation. Their bold actions made today's air travel possible for all of us."

Lloyd's route included an homage overflight of Howland Island, that tiny atoll in Pacific Ocean where the famous flight was mysteriously lost in 1937. He dropped two large pink tropical flowers over the site in memoriam for Earhart and Noonan.

When he reached Hawaii, Brian Lloyd said, "My respect for Amelia Earhart has risen a thousand times now that I have flown 28,000 miles in her shoes. Speeds are comparable, and I have had to deal with the same sort of weather that she did."

Brian Lloyd is the first solo aviator to complete the historic Earhart equatorial route. Spirit has endured fierce winds, blasting sandstorms, and severe tropical weather along the equator. It has not been an easy flight, due to the long flight hours and complex logistics. On July 14th, Spirit's engine failed momentarily at 21,000 feet over the Pacific ocean, forcing Brian Lloyd to land in New Zealand for repairs.

Everywhere he went, he invited ground crew and friends to sign the airplane with a marker pen. It became a mission of outreach and goodwill. The plane's fuselage and wings are now covered in signatures that bear witness to the huge network of support that it takes to fly around the world. At the Amelia Earhart Birthplace Museum in Atchison Kansas, Lloyd was awarded the medal from the Ninety-Nines, the famous international organization of women pilots founded in 1929, of which Amelia Earhart was its first president.

Several world records were set by Brian Lloyd and Spirit on this flight: First solo flight of the Historic Earhart Equatorial Route, and first male pilot to fly the Historic Earhart Equatorial Route in a propeller aircraft.

Upon landing in Texas, Brian Lloyd commented, "Hopefully I can motivate kids to go out and try new things. Here I am at sixty-three, in a single engine aircraft, flying around the world. You can go out and do something amazing, too."

Brian Lloyd's aircraft, a Mooney M20K 231 with tail number N916BL, is outfitted with 200 gallons of fuel capacity and modern satellite avionics gear, giving it a 3000 mile range. But, like the Earhart's famous Lockheed Electra plane, there is a High Frequency (HF) radio in Spirit. Brian Lloyd used the HF radio to communicate with hundreds of ham radio operators all over the world while he was in flight, using the callsign "WB6RQN Aeronautical Mobile".

About: Brian Lloyd, 63, is a pilot, flight instructor, engineer, educator, and radio operator. He lives near San Antonio, Texas, USA. The commemorative flights like Project Amelia Earhart, are co-sponsored by The Classic Aircraft Aviation Museum, a non-profit in Texas, and many other individuals who contribute to support the flights through donations.

Project Amelia Earhart website: http://projectameliaearhart.org
Press Kit: http://projectameliaearhart.org/press

 

Edited August 6, 2017 by BCrystal

[Oscar Avalle]

Amazing! congratulations