After CAFE-NASA-GOOGLE challenge triumph Pipistrel is back and working hard to complete unique Round The World version of their Virus-SW.
Each major modification brings hundreds of small ones what is time consuming work. But the time to departure is getting shorter, so I am regular visitor in factory to speedup impossible. Also guys at Kanardia working hard to complete prototipe backup engine data instrument EMSIS which get me some needed redundancy. For long distance flights good seats are needed, so Bostjan Nusdorfer creating all new seat for Virus-SW.
Days are becoming shorter and shorter and work is sometimes overhelming, sorting out fuel problems, permissions, lack of money, looking for sponsors.... all beside my normal work in my company. My very good friend Peter (Pedro) Skvarca top glaciologist from Argentina with immense experiences in Antarctic help me find contact for frozen continent flight. Alejo Contreras, legendary Antarctic explorer from Chile promised help at Marsh-Chielan Base station. Still no fuel at Easter Island, got positive answer from Tahiti... and so on and on.

The event in Santa Rosa, California, was hosted by the CAFE foundation (Comparative Aircraft Flight Efficiency). The second place was claimed by the team E-genius of the University in Stuttgart. This means a double victory for Pipistrel, who has been team E-Genius's development partner. Their aircraft is actually a modified Pipistrel Taurus (wings and fuselage) with a specially developed tail section and an electric propulsion system in the tail. So in a way, Pipistrel's aircraft claimed the first and the second place!

Follow the Pipistrel USA CAFE Green Flight Challenge Blog http://www.pipistrel-usa.com/blog1/

It looks another summer is going to history. One hour early morning flight to Pipistrel factory went smooth over the valleys entirely covered by low clouds.
Virus-SW914 is growing steadiliy. Each modification brings numbers of small changes which slow down the whole process. Wings are here with Archer VOR/ILS antenna already installed into wingtip. We'll do some tests before permnently sealing glass wingtip to the wing. We hope and pray for good frequency reception.
All new cold air conductor for intercooler which cool down hot air in airbox is also designed. This is crucial for very high altitude flying. The central fuselage fuel tank will bring more autonomy and solve problems with wing fuel tank venting. All venting hoses join in the collector above central reservoir what prevent loosing fuel due underpressure during flight.
End of September is approaching with supersonic speed and we are all very excited about unknown performances of the new buity.
 

While we are fighting number of obstacles organising papers for GreenLight WorldFlight, Pipistrel guys are working hard racing tight schedule till the end of September. As SW-914 is going to be prototyp in many respects, we'll need some time to test it in diverse and extreme conditions we'll  face during world tour. Beside flight characteristics also needs to be comfortable for photographing as well as suitable for our research project.
The wings will be ready next week, engine and MT-prop are here, as well as modified intercooler, avionics are waiting to jump into cockpit, new central tank is ready and so on and on.
We hope and pray to get good support from Agency of Civil Aviation of Slovenia regarding registration issue, as the aircraft is not going to be a standard Virus -SW.

Standard ultralight aircraft Pipistrel Virus-SW needs some modifications for extreme world circumnavigation. Requirements are 4000 km range, 9000 m altitude, polar and tropical temperatures, low weight and low consumption. Pipistrel engineers are working hard to find right solutions.

Ing. Vid Plevnik, head of development, Sašo Kolar, structural and plastic material expert, and ing. Radivoj Kikelj are doing great job. Integral wing fuel tanks, new fuselage tank with unique venting solution, engine mounted direct to firewall, antennas  internal solutions are just few of them which will keep overall weight down.
 

VIDICOM  http://www.vidicom-tv.com/  TV producer from Hamburg is working on " THE ALPS FROM ABOVE" a 10 part HD documentary series for the French-German public broadcaster ARTE, German ZDF, Rai Bolzano and other international broadcasters. In this primetime series, they cover selected routes in the Alps with their Cineflex helicopter camera.

A part of the documentary will also present our project "The Alps - A Bird's Eye View" so the ground  crew spend a day filming at airport Slovenske Konjice. After we met helicopter crew at Lesce airfield and they filmed flying with Sinus around Bled as the weather did not permit circling around Triglav as it was originaly planned.

One of my top wishes is flying in Himalayas. In my climbing years I was quite frequent visitor in this beautiful country joining expeditions, teaching Nepali Sherpas in Slovenian school for Mountain Guides in Manang-Langtang or just leading trekkings.
Himalaya is hostile place for flying. Beside bureaucracy there is high altitude with specific aerodinamic problems, low oxyigen, low temperatures and wild weather. Most of the year strong jet streams with hurricane winds blowing over the highest peaks with speeds above 150km/h. Only during monsoon (May - September) jet streams are pushed to the  North what could bring some calm days also to Everest region.
History of Everest flying is fairly rich. Two RAF bombers - Westland Wallace, modified for High Altitude Survey flew over Everest in 1933. Legendary Swiss pilot Emil Wick operated his Pilatus Porter for many years in Nepal, also over or close to Everest. There was also successful hot air balloon crossing in 1991, Boivin made first paraglide flight from the summit in 1988, followed by french couple tandem flight in 2001.
Richard Meredith-Hardy, World Microlight Champion overflew Everest in 2004 in his trike while towing hang glider Angelo D'Arrigo http://www.flymicro.com/everest/
He used same engine Rotax914 as we plan to install in VirusSW. Richard is also highly experienced long distance trike pilot, so one of the most competent persones to talk with.
I just came back from London, where we have long night discussion about Himalaya flying.
Next day he guided me through the Shuttleworth Collection of vintage aeroplanes where we found also half build replica of Westland Wallace.

All Everest flights  have been done in April- May or September-October periode when strong winds calm down and adventurers could be granted even with a windless day.
Unfortunately my schedule will bring me to Nepal in February, during winter when flying get a lot more complicated.

The GreenLight WorldFlight project gets in faster mode. Every day some good or not so good news. But last week was extremely intense and effective.

We sat down with Pipistrel engineers and went through any possible detailes and modifications on the VirusSW914, first Pipistrel aircraft with turbo engine. Beside engine, a large wing fuel tanks still has some open questions. Nobody exactly know how much fuel we can get in. It looks the best option would be to remove inner wing fuel tanks and change the whole wing into fuel tank. Save some weight to. And than a propeller. I know from my previous flights that good propeller keeps you cool also in tough moments. We decided for German MT www.mt-propeller.com/   as they are producing the lightest, most efficient and extremely reliable props.

Next day Ivo called me. He got a vist from India. Mr Vibhooti Singh Deora, CEO of Microlight Aviation ltd www.microlight.in/ from Jaipur and also general distributor for Pipistrel aircraft is in his office, so good oportunity to get first hand information. In no time I was in the car for two hours drive. And after spend pleasant afternoon with Mr. Vibhooti who offered all his help with papers, fuel, etc in India. Thank you!

And than in mid-week got email from Becker Avionics www.becker-avionics.com/  leading aviation radio electronic company in the world. Mr Klaus Fruehwirth, vice president, also former Pipistrel Sinus owner kindly offer support with their reliable instrumets.
That was a news!

Another good news got me unprepared. Mr Martin Albrecht, vice president of MT and German aerobatic champion, kindly offer sponsorship with their valuable hidraulic constant speed propeller. Waaaw this is gonna be a perfect combination of state of art prop and aircraft .

Finally, Friday afternoon, Peter Klinar, owner of Cirrus company www.cirrus.si/ sent me another good news. Peter arranged a meeting with Garmin  www.garmin.com/  officials for possible sponsorship during AERO11 in Friedrichshafen and today got the answer. They will join the project! For decades Garmin set standards for aviation navigation. Thank you Peter!

The GreenLight WorldFlight  was presented at AERO11, the biggest european general aviation fair in Friedrichshafen - Germany.

 
Pipistrel (www.pipistrel.si) offer us special place within their stand, promotional poster with present sponsors has been displeyed also at AeronauticalAssociation of Slovenia ( www.lzs-zveza.si) and Kanardia (www.kanardia.eu) where we did promotional activity for Geoniss (www.geoniss.com) unique system for vertical aerophotography for ultralight and experimental aircrafts.

 
We got in contact with several aviation companies for possible support of GreenLight WorldFlight and we can proudly announce that TruTrak Flight Systems (www.trutrakflightsystems.com) world leading company for aviation non certified autopilots  decided to sponsor our flight with their unique system.

 
Beside many superlatives like Pipistrel winning Linderg Price or presentation of new 4 seater Panthera we met many incredible persones, aviation enthusiasts who are offering their hands for the comming GreenLight WorldFlight.

  
Also Mike and James owners of Airplane Factory (www.airplanefactory.co.za) from Johannesburg - South Africa were there delivering their Sling, flying 7 days up form SA to Poland. Guys did incredible Around the World Flight in 2009 (http://www.airplanefactory.co.za/world/default.asp) Hope we meet again in Johannesburg next February.