Two long-distance travellers with vastly differing stories could be found at the Rolls-Royce stand this week at Farnborough.
The first was Adrian Hayes, corporate coach, speaker and adventurer, who was the 15th person to reach the planet’s three extremes – the North and South Poles and the summit of Mount Everest. Hayes also holds the record for completing the three journeys faster than anyone else – 19 months.
He stopped by to thank Rolls-Royce for sponsoring his “Three Poles Challenge” – it was the only company to back all three adventures.
The sponsorship had grown out of a long-term relationship started in the Middle East when Hayes was Airbus sales director for Dubai and working with Rolls-Royce to gain business from mutual customer Emirates Airlines.
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The globe-trotting Trent 900 engine, famed for having travelled more than half-a-million miles since it was put into service for the A380 in 2005 – was also on view at the stand.
The engine has travelled the equivalent of 21 times around the world – and farther than a trip to the moon.
During 2006 it experienced some of the most extreme conditions during flight test including heat as high as 38 degrees C in the UAE, cold down to –30 degrees C in Canada, and a take-off at 5,000 feet elevation in Colombia.
Since entering commercial operation, the Trent 900 fleet has accumulated more than 18,000 hours of flawless operation and has been chosen by 10 out of 13 operators selecting engines for A380s.
Next for Hayes is a walk across Greenland in 2009. Next for Rolls-Royce is a drive to increase market share in the Middle East.
Source: Flight International
