London to Sydney.....18 Jan 2010

[Slider]

Have a look at http://www.flytoaus.com

Holding thumbs for Martin, to succeed with this GT 450

[Nkwazi]

Eish, will he have a live tracker like the Sling??

[Slider]

He mentioned something like that, on his web site

[Nkwazi]

Shame, just seen on Sky that he's been killed in his plane. RIP brave aviator

From Sky:


A microlight pilot who set out on a solo charity flight to Australia has been found dead off the French coast.

Martin Bromage before setting off on his 11,000-mile expedition



Martin Bromage, 49, was expected at Le Touquet by mid-afternoon on Monday after setting off from Gloucestershire Airport at 10am.

But shortly after noon the team monitoring his progress lost touch with him and his body was recovered by a French patrol boat just after 10pm.

A spokesperson for Dover Coastguard said bad weather conditions had prevented a helicopter being sent out to Mr Bromage.

The adventurous tree surgeon, from Churcham, Gloucester, was making the 11,000-mile "unsupported microlight journey" to raise £150,000 for Help For Heroes, which helps injured British troops.


There is a real sense of freedom, you can feel the wind and smell the atmosphere which you can't do in an enclosed cockpit.

Martin Bromage before the flight

Writing on his website ahead of the trip, Mr Bromage said he expected to face "incredibly hostile terrain with daunting sea crossings and testing meteorological conditions".

He added that he had previously circumnavigated the UK four times by microlight.

Mr Bromage also flew unsupported from Gloucester to Lagos in the Algarve last year and is one of the few people to have climbed The Old Man of Hoy in Orkney.

Before setting out he told the Gloucestershire Echo: "I have done a few adventurous trips in Europe in the microlight, and I just thought to myself, why not push it that bit further?

"I have been flying microlights for around eight years, I started with paragliders, but had a bad accident which left me in hospital for five months.

"There is a real sense of freedom, you can feel the wind and smell the atmosphere which you can't do in an enclosed cockpit."

[topflight]

This is sad news...RIP Martin Bromage.

[Tailspin]

Very Sad News indeed

RIP Dude.

[Tumbleweed]

This is very sad. As always, more questions and no one to answer.

One thing going on an extended rambling jolly and confronted by k@k weather, but this guy must have done the most intense flight planning possible. Having had experience with long flights before and the trike guys regularly crossing the 21 mile (shortest distance about 20 min) channel, I see their weather stations include the channel weather, in 3 hour intervals, viz, pressure e.t.c.

Apparently, his last radio call was to turn around. Was the fog so bad that he could'nt see his compass and GPS?

If flying from a normal air pressure system into k@k low pressure suddenly, would his qnh have been so out that he thought he was higher then he was? Surely, if your qnh setting is higher than the acutal pressure, it would indicate a higher altitude than actual?

Why did'nt he have a few mates fly the first leg with him? The distance of that leg would not have required extra fuel so mauw could not have been an issue?

Around my patch the weather lately has been very k@k. From sunshine to haze, to overcast, to thunderbolt and lighting and torrential downpours all within 40 minutes, could this have happened to him?

[Trikenut]

Such sad news. At least he died doing what he loved to do... and doing it for a good cause.
RIP. My thoughts are with his family and friends.
Regards,
Ross

[wiskeyfoxtrot]

Very sad to hear, weather must have been very bad,
Condolence to the family,

R I P

WiskeyFoxtrot

[Slider]

Around my patch the weather lately has been very k@k. From sunshine to haze, to overcast, to thunderbolt and lighting and torrential downpours all within 40 minutes, could this have happened to him?

I feel so sad about Martin, as i know the weather can change so fast and then you are in deep trouble. That is why i have made a "route" on my GPS. This "route" consists of 4 markers at 03 Microland: “Outer marker” /“Middle Marker” / “Inner Marker” and “end of runway” At each of these markers I have a height next to it, and I make sure I fly those levels. So if I ever get caught in VERY LIGHT rain or VERY LIGHT mist, I will be able to land using this, even if I cant see the power cable at the inner maker. I just freaken hope I never have to use it, but just incase………((My inner marker is above the power lines, and i added 50ft to make it safe))