Speed Record Attempt

[Douglas]

I am riding along on a flight starting Tuesday morning as the official NAA observer.
The goal of the flight is to set a new speed record for landing in all 48 contiguous states in under 131 hours. The pilot hopes to cut that time nearly in half if weather permits.

I will not be piloting but rather just riding along and making sure he touches down in all the spots he says he will.

The pilot is trying to raise awareness and money for Juvenile Diabetes. That is why I am posting this here.
You can look at his website and follow his progress here -> http://www.diabetesflight48.com/

So far he already holds numerous records and has flown around the world once just to show that a person with diabetes should not be barred from the skies. He wrote a very informative and interesting book about that flight. It is a sad but true fact that some of us will get our wings clipped due to type two diabetes.

I do hope you guys here check out his website. I think he has done great work so far in dispelling myths about diabetes and flying.

Oh and for the next couple of days while we float around the country, if you hear Baron 30TB, say hi.
The route is on the website.

 

[BrewMaster]

I'm jealous, that looks like a blast!!

 

[OhioStatePilot]

Just out of curiosity, how did you get to be an NAA observer? Is it something you have to be certified for?

I agree, it looks like a lot of fun!

 

[Boris Badenov]

Weird. Do you happen to know a nighttime dispatcher at Subair? He was telling me about this earlier tonight. I don't see how this works in a Baron, but I wish you the best of British luck.

 

[twotwowoo]

Good luck. It sounds like it will be an amazing experience!

 

[Jfk-Pilot]

you lucky sob

are you going to try document your experience in any way? maybe a video documentary?

Have fun!

 

[ozone]

How many people does this plane hold??! That seems like a lot of crew along with you observing for NAA.

 

[twotwowoo]

If you don't mind me asking, why are you guys using a Baron to set a speed record? Why wouldn't you use something turbine-powered?

 

[Maurus]

Could be a piston speed record.

 

[c172captain]

Until we get an N-Number on here to track the flight, I'm calling it fake

 

[skidz]

48 states in less than 131 hour...hmm...good luck chuck!
Good time building though

 

[machnumber]

Diabetes runs in my family.

Have fun and good luck!

 

[Tangodelta29]

Okay just wondering... Is it at all possible to have somebody with type 2 also hold a first class to fly, say for the airlines?

 

[jrh]

You're stopping in Walla Walla, WA? Nice. I had a lot of good times at that boring little airport in the middle of nowhere.

 

[upup89]

Thats pretty cool.

 

[juxtapilot]

Until we get an N-Number on here to track the flight, I'm calling it fake

Um...

Oh and for the next couple of days while we float around the country, if you hear Baron 30TB, say hi.
The route is on the website.

 

[Nihon_Ni]

Just out of curiosity, how did you get to be an NAA observer? Is it something you have to be certified for?

I agree, it looks like a lot of fun!

I did this a few years ago when my buddy set a speed record. The record attempting pilot has to submit a plan that outlines the record he will attempt and all the details. One of those details is how he will have his time recorded & monitored. In my case, I rode along and verified the time required to accomplish all the landings.

 

[Douglas]

Well sorry for the delay in getting back to you guys but I was in the back of a BE-58 for a while.
The two pilots did it. I think the total number of hours was around 96 hours and the time to beat was 131.

The experience is beyond words. We have a beautiful country and it's wonderfully diverse.

Just out of curiosity, how did you get to be an NAA observer? Is it something you have to be certified for?

Basically all I had to do was join the NAA, $35/ annually and then I could fill that role for those pilots. Also I had to have a commercial pilots license.

Weird. Do you happen to know a nighttime dispatcher at Subair? He was telling me about this earlier tonight. I don't see how this works in a Baron, but I wish you the best of British luck.

I went to all 48 states and all I got was this lousy british accent...
(but in truth they were pretty cool guys)

I don't personally know anybody at subair, that I know of.

you lucky sob

are you going to try document your experience in any way? maybe a video documentary?

I took a lot of pictures and a few movies. I ended up running out of battery power and missed a few states. But there was a british guy on board that was making a documentary about it. One of the two pilots hired him to come along to make a five minute video trip...he shot so much tape he is thinking about making it into a little bit of a a longer documentary.

How many people does this plane hold??! That seems like a lot of crew along with you observing for NAA.

Yeah the plane can hold six people, five of us went. We were fuel restricted.

If you don't mind me asking, why are you guys using a Baron to set a speed record? Why wouldn't you use something turbine-powered?

I don't know how the records are broken down, but the record he beat was the last done in a Cessna 182RG and that stood for about 10 years.

Until we get an N-Number on here to track the flight, I'm calling it fake

:drool: trust me, it was all photoshopped

Okay just wondering... Is it at all possible to have somebody with type 2 also hold a first class to fly, say for the airlines?

Unfortunately no. I hope someday the FAA will come around on this though. From what I have seen with diabetic pilots, there is no reason to limit them from a commercial operation, especially in a crew environment. Blood testing in flight is not difficult or time consuming.

You're stopping in Walla Walla, WA? Nice. I had a lot of good times at that boring little airport in the middle of nowhere.

Walla-Walla was a sight for sore eyes out of brown/red sand of Nevada and the SW.
Beautiful country side there.
Photo of old stopping grounds included.

 

[c172captain]

I'm still waiting for the N number bro

 

[Douglas]

N30TB.
Don't even bother with Flight aware.
It was all done VFR...no joke.

BE-58