Trifecta Ending

The author Ernst Hemingway once said; “It is good to have an end to journey toward, but it is the journey that matters in the end.” These words aptly echo Bazflyer sentiments as their journey of a lifetime, flying Comanche ZK-BAZ round the world, comes to its conclusive end. 

  

Flying round the world appropriately infers closing a loop round the planet, commencing from one point, crossing every meridian and returning to the point of departure. When the Bazflyers land back at Kerikeri in the far north of New Zealand, they will have closed a circumnavigation loop round the world not once, not twice but three times...a trifecta ending!

The first loop round the world was from Kagoshima eastward returning back to Kagoshima. Then for the double it was Coolangatta, Australia and back again. Finally, the trifecta ending and in Bazflyer eyes the penultimate journey. This loop involved flying the trusty Comanche a distance of more than 60,000 kilometres, touching down multiple times in 13 different countries, sharing the unsolicited company of wonderful people, then culminating it all back at the original point of departure..New Zealand. 

With the successful completion of loop number one, the Bazflyers become the 240th recorded flight round the world in a single engine airplane since 1924 and are now officially Earthrounders  They also become the first qualifying flight from New Zealand. In another statistic the Bazflyer’s award winning airplane becomes the 10th single-engine Piper Comanche to have completed a flight round the world. The first time a Comanche was used on a RTW flight was when British airwoman Sheila Scott flew her Comanche (Myth Too) on two RTW flights, first in 1966 and then again in 1969.

A congratulatory message received after closing the loop at Kagoshima succinctly reminded the Bazflyers of their accomplishment. “As you know, more than 4000 persons have climbed Mount Everest, about 500 have been in Space but only around 700 pilots of all types of aircraft have flown around the globe in their own machine”. 

The Bazflyers humbly harbour mixed feelings as their flight of a lifetime approaches its penultimate closure....a satisfying sense of achievement tempered with a lingering lust for the journey to continue. Superlatives inadequately embellish Bazflyer attempts to describe everything the sensory antennae has intercepted along the way, but perhaps it can be best summarised by saying; “Its the journey that matters in the end”. A journey where hundreds, may be thousands of people, all round the world have congregated under the Wings of Friendship to not only share the Bazflyer’s amazing journey but by just being there they have significantly contributed to the experience. Thank you...everyone!

Three days 1850 NM (3,700 km) across Australia to close loop #2 at YBCG, Coolangatta

Preparing the trusty Comanche for a morning departure out of Charleville 

Crossing a great sunburnt land


Nearing Coolangatta with late morning build-ups already poking their heads into the flight levels

Almost closing loop #2, on a visual approach into Coolangatta airport 

Back on Australia’s east coast...again

And in the land of pies

Thursday’s flight over the Tasman Sea completes the Trifecta Ending

Watching Clouds Go By

It’s one of those indelible childhood memories. A hot summers day, lying on the grass, looking up to an infinite blue sky and watching the clouds go by. Nearly a lifetime later the skies never ending canvas of mesmerising images still holds a fascination for the Bazflyers. Such is the uniquely original artistry of clouds.

When it comes to clouds, nothing compares to the majestic presence of towering convective clouds, the variety that inhabit the tropical latitudes. The energy of these systems drive global atmospheric circulation which in turn transports moisture around the Earth affecting both weather and climate. Such clouds were out in force as the Bazflyers crossed the Equator in Comanche ZK-BAZ this time heading south, flight by flight closer to home. The distraction of navigating a flight path among the presence of these cloud mammoths even caused the Bazflyers to overlook the actual moment of crossing the Equator. Notwithstanding, the 1,150 NM (2,300 km) flight that commenced from Clark Airport in the Philippines ended 7.5 hours later at Balikpapan (WALL) on the eastern side of Borneo, and that is definitely south of the Equator.

The handling team at Clark Airport (RPLC) who made the bureaucracy go away and otherwise contributed to a pleasant stop-over.

Up so very high, looking out the window, watching the clouds go by.

Snacking courtesy of Bazflyer2 inflight catering...now if only there was a coffee brew to accompany this.

Oh, we are flying in an airplane, looking at clouds so high.

Cultivation patterns on descent into Balikpapan from an on route altitude of 11,000 feet 

Drum refuelling at Balikpapan, probably the last use of BAZ’s hand pump on RTW 2019.

Flight route returning back down-under the Equator