Grissom AFB to Honolulu...in a Lancair

[Ztex]

http://www.airport-data.com/aircraft/N6ZQ.html

I just heard that this guy just flew his Lancair from Indiana to Honolulu....nonstop. Then he's going to fly to Guam.

Yikes.

http://flightaware.com/live/flight/N6ZQ/history/20130224/1800Z/KGUS/PHNL

[Doug Robertson]

Zane,

The guy was Bill Harrelson, an airline pilot who spent eight years building N6ZQ, a modified Lancair IV with Barrett-prepared IO-550 (non turbo), 10:1 pistons, oversize oil sump, GAMI injectors and mag ignition. N6ZQ has a 13 gallon header tank fed by other wing tanks and additional aux tanks pumped to the header by three independently powered transfer pumps. The plane was built to set long distance records.

From Grissom Air Reserve Base, Indiana to Honolulu, Hawaii was a 22.5 hour flight about 4,000 nautical miles. Two days later he flew from Honolulu to Guam-17.6 hours and 3,000 nautical miles. Then came his world record flight-verification pending for Class C-1d by the FAI.

That was from Guam to Jacksonville, Florida non-stop in 38 hours, 29 minutes aloft over 7,051 nautical miles. BTW, a nautical mile is a linear measure equal to 1/60th of a degree, or about 6,080 feet, as opposed to a statute mile of 5,280 feet. FlightAware's flight track puts the N6ZQ flight distance at 7,049 nautical miles.

Great circle distance between PGUM and KJAX-13,059 kilometers, 7,051 nm, 8,114 statute miles.

N6ZQ takeoff weight for the flight PGUM to KJAX was 4,449 lbs.

Total fuel on board at Guam engine start: 361 gallons
Total fuel on board at Jacksonville engine shutdown: 6 gallons.
Total fuel burned: 355 gallons.
Oil quantity on engine start: 14 quarts.
Oil added: None.
Oil quantity on landing back at his Virginia home: 14 quarts.
Total oil consumption: None.
Average fuel consumption: 9.2 gal/hour. Cruise ranged from 11 gph heavy to 8 gph light.
Average ground speed: 183 knots.
Average cruise True Air Speed: 180 knots.

N6ZQ is expected to be displayed this Summer at EAA AirVenture 2013.

Congrats on a stunning achievement!

The record-verifying flight data was sent to the National Aeronautic Association. When confirmed, NAA will forward that info to the Federation Aeronautique Internationale for world record verification.

My information is from EAA, of which I am a member.

[Doug Robertson]

Bill Harrelson, the record-setting pilot is on the move again in his highly modified Lancair IV. He is attempting to set an around the world record for a polar to polar circumnavigation flight. He departed Bangor, Maine BGR and flew non-stop to Recife, Brazil. Then he continued to Punta Arenas, Chile. If weather permits, he will fly the route to Christchurch, New Zealand, Honolulu, Hawaii, Nome, Alaska and back to Bangor, Maine crossing both the South and North poles. Time is of the essence here.