Slovenian pilot Matevž Lenarčič arrived in his home country on 19 April 2012 at 16:00, landing at Jože Pučnik airport in Brnik, near Ljubljana, thus completing one of the most remarkable solo journeys by air in history.

By mid-April, this intrepid career adventurer – and aerial photographer, author, environmental activist, mountain climber and paraglider – had spent more than three months flying around the world in a modified Pipistrel Virus SW 914 Turbo.

On his journey, Lenarčič crossed the equator six times, covered more than 43,200nm (80,000 km), landed on seven continents and flew over more than 50 countries, 120 national parks and three oceans. His selected flightpath led him to circle the five landmark mountain peaks, including the world’s tallest, Mount Everest. Temperatures reached -50˚C over the summit of Mount Everest and +50˚C over the equator.

And Lenarčič accomplished all of this on board a light sport aircraft three times lighter than Charles Lindbergh’s Spirit of St Louis monoplane, resulting in one of the most ambitious solo journeys ever attempted in aviation history.

matevz-lenarcic's

Matevž Lenarčič (on the right)

The feat was even more impressive than Lenarčič’s 79-day global circumnavigation on a Pipistrel Sinus ultralight motorglider in 2004, as this time he crossed the Pacific Ocean.

The crossing took in multiple long-endurance flights that tested Lenarčič’s stamina and piloting skills. The longest flight of 3,700km between Concepción, Chile, and Easter Island, was on a course with no options to divert for an emergency landing between the two points. Pipistrel’s online site monitoring Lenarčič’s journey noted that he encountered heavier headwinds than expected on the leg to Easter Island, pushing Lenarčič and his aircraft to the limits of their endurance.

That single flight took more than 15h, during which Lenarčič consumed 305l (81 USgal) of the 350l of fuel on board the Virus SW 914 Turbo. His flight recorded an airspeed of 151kt (280km/h), consuming an average of 8.25l of fuel per 100km.
It was a journey of discovery not only personally for Lenarčič, but also for the greater cause of environmental awareness.

Formally known as the Green Light World Flight, the journey proved that it is possible to circumnavigate the planet in an environmentally friendly aircraft. The project also demonstrated how a light aircraft such as the Virus SW 914 Turbo can be used as a scientific instrument. Lenarčič carried on his aircraft a sensor to measure the concentration of atmospheric aerosols, especially in the usually neglected medium altitudes.

Lenarčič provided new volumes of data to help scientists understand the impact of the greenhouse effect. Meanwhile, his physical response to the extremes of temperature and oxygen concentration was studied by the Jožef Stefan Institute.

Not everything can go as planned on such a flight, and the piloting and judgement skills of Lenarčič were on full display.
Over southern Namibia, for example, the turbocharger on the Pipistrel’s Rotax engine failed. A gap had developed in the oil return line during the crossings of the Pacific and Indian oceans. Lenarčič immediately shut down the engine and glided the Pipistrel to an airport about 2 miles away in Keetmanshoop. As a result, the Rotax engine suffered no damage from oil deprivation, and Lenarčič was able to continue in only a matter of days after the repair parts arrived.

Of course,  complications are not always technical. Lenarčič had to deviate from his intended flightpath because of delays in getting necessary approvals from the Libyan government.

Weather also played a critical role. Lenarčič, for example, was scheduled to complete his journey on 18 April with a hero’s welcome at Aero Expo in Friedrichshafen, Germany. Bad weather and possible icing conditions over the Alps, however, prevented the Pipistrel from making the final leg. Instead, and perhaps fittingly,  Lenarčič completed the journey where it began on 12 January, in his and his aircraft’s native Slovenia.

Since his epic journey a year ago, Lenarčič has flown over the North Pole during an expedition over the Northern Arctic, carrying with him the same sensor and contributing even more data, and in an even more sensitive area of the world.

Finalists

Felix Baumgartner

In October 2012, the Austrian skydiver and daredevil set a world record by freefalling from 39km above New Mexico, reaching a speed of almost 1,360km/h, or M1.25, before opening a specially designed parachute. In so doing, Baumgartner also became the first person to break the sound barrier without vehicular power, while at the same time setting the record altitude in a balloon when his helium-filled Red Bull Stratos craft carried him into the stratosphere. After learning his free-falling skills in the Austrian military, Baumgartner has set a number of records for parachute jumps.

North Sea ditching crews

When the pilots of an oil platform-bound Eurocopter EC225 Super Puma operated by Bond Offshore Helicopters were forced to ditch in the North Sea 40km off Aberdeen, all 14 passengers and crew were rescued without serious injury. The pilots’ airmanship was praised by their company. Five months later, it was a case of history repeating as the pilots of another Super Puma, this time operated by CHC Scotia, were also forced to perform the procedure near the Shetland Isles. Again, passengers and crew escaped without injury, earning the recognition of oil company Total. This nomination recognises the contribution of both crews.

NATS Olympics team

The UK air traffic authority described the 2012 London Olympics as its marathon: managing a surge in air traffic while maintaining business as usual for the capital’s airports. Despite gloomy warnings of chaos – traffic in the London area rose by 3.5% over the course of the games, peaking at 4.5% – the event passed almost without drama. With only 593min of delay attributable to NATS through the Olympic period, 95% down on the same period in 2011, chief executive Richard Deakin said it was “testament to the years of meticulous planning and effort of everyone involved across the business”. Other Olympic hopeful cities have sought its advice.




Source: FlightGlobal.com

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