Fly as high as the sun! (microlight content, not bikes)

[Bendy]

It isn't bikes, but hopefully a few of you might find this interesting. I'd also like to abuse you for questions... see later...

This August, me and three others are going to take two of these little chaps

https://www.flightofikarus.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/IMG_4420.jpg

and do this in them

https://www.flightofikarus.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/roughmap5.jpg

When (if!) we get to Crete, we're going to have a crack at breaking the world altitude record for microlights - over 25,000ft. We might be successful, we might fail miserably, that's all part of the adventure.

A bit of background... 2 C42 microlights that make less power than most folk's bikes and have considerably less luggage capacity. We'll be hopping across Europe in 2 hour-ish jumps, aiming to fly about 8 hours a day. We'll be camping, not washing, cursing the weather... it'll be just like a bike touring holiday except that there are less places to get petrol and countries like Austra won't let us in.

Flying over water is scary. Flying over dense forest is scary. Flying near mountains is scary. Mother nature looks at a microlight and goes "lol, you idiots, I'm going to fuck up your day". If we can't see the ground, we're screwed. If it's too windy, we can expend an entire tank of fuel going backwards. If it's too nice, the ground heats up and weird winds do weird things like chuck you up 1000ft vertically with no warning. Or down, which is less fun.

The altitude attempt means being on oxygen, freezing cold and possibly running out of lift. Nobody's ever taken a C42 over 15,000ft. There may be a good reason for that.



I have 2 asks...

Pimping
If you think 'oh, that sounds a bit interesting' gave us a Like on Facebook - www.facebook.com/flightofikarus - it is disproportionately helpful to us. You can also check out the website (in my sig) for a bit more detail.


Questions
Ask away. I want to know what people want to know, cos that's the stuff we need to be putting on our website. I've got a few ideas but I bet you lot'll come up with some quite interesting questions, in amongst the inevitable pictures of cats. And its Friday so I know none of you are doing any work...

cheerz dearz

[mysterious_rider]

Looks awesome!
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KAWASAKIIIII

[mistergixer]

1st question:

When I hear the word 'microlight', I think of something like this:

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/11/Pegasus_quantum_15-912_microlight_g-byff_kemble_arp.jpg/551px-Pegasus_quantum_15-912_microlight_g-byff_kemble_arp.jpg

Yours looks like a 'proper' plane, rather than a glorified hanglider.

I'd be far more impressed if you were taking one like the above up to 25K+ feet.

How come your plane is called a microlight, when it looks nothing like the others?
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Space Monkey #7
Don Eladio is dead. His capos are dead. You have no one left to fight for. Fill your pockets and leave in peace. Or fight me and die!
Mistergixer's videos on YouTube

[Hetzer]

[Knightsy]

I've always wondered, how does refuelling work? Do airports have similarly functioning petrol stations (as in, you land, refuel, grab a porn mag, pay and get nectar points for it)?

P.S Dibs on the bike, in case your wings get caught on fire during an attitude attempt.
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09' Versys 650 | 07' FJR1300A

[Bendy]

[P.addy]

Can I borrow your GSXR

I'm not on social media, so cannot share/like unfortunately. looks like a fun trip, an expensive one too but ultimately fun.

How long have you been flying..and have you flown solo before? Definitely need a GoPro or equivalent on there

[DrDonnyBrago]

How does crossing borders work legally when you are 15,000 ft above the guys with clipboards?

Do you have to pay to land? Do you have to arrange where/when beforehand?

How much fuel does it carry and what would your MPG be?

How fast does it go (relative to ground speed)?

[chris-red]

[Bendy]

[Bendy]

[angryjonny]

What are you doing with the microlites when you get to Crete? Surely you're not flying them back again?

Has your custom title become ironic or was it always that way?

[colin1]

I'm looking forward to the in flight pics.
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colin1 is officially faster than god

[fatpies]

[Bendy]

[Nexus Icon]

Was I supposed to sing the topic title in my head, in the voice of Bruce Dickinson?
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Greetings from Shitsville!

[Bendy]

[Bendy]

[Aff]

What happens if you cant make it to one of your planned stops because of a really bad head wind or something. Can you just land it in any old field?

How much do you estimate the flight will cost?

Do you have to do all the alpha-one-niner radio speak like in the movies?
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Current Bikes:Honda 929RR Fireblade, Honda CD200 Benly (Project), Stomp Z2 140
Electric Bike Project

[neatbik]

Why wont Austria let you in?

[Bendy]

[Bendy]

[virus]

is italy of limits? judging by the look of the route unless your not allowed then going down the length of italy would be a shorter route and probably better looking from above.
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own: 81 xs1100g...
owned: 85 rat CG (sold), 91 GS500e (stolen), 84 gsx400f (scrapped), 81 z250 (siezed, siezed, scrapped), 83 cb250rs (sold), 84 gpz750r ratfighter (killed) 84gpz400 (sold), '80 cb650 ratfighter (wrote off) 95gsx6/12f ratfighter (killed) 91 xj900 (sold)
stinkwheel Well I just had my hands up a pigs fanny. Which makes your concerns pale into insignificance.

[Aff]

[Bendy]