Reflexions on the 2012 RTW Journey

I am back home, I left Palm Beach Gardens on May 4th for Orlando, to meet with Nori-san and Hiro-san for the first leg of our adventure.

I switch plane in Japan for the TBM.

An amazing journey of close to 26,000 nm, 27 countries, fantastic flying, new friends every where and enough material to write a least one book.....

I am prepping up already the 2013 Journey Around the World.

New Itinerary, New Program, New Pace etc.....

I will keep you posted.

Thierry
Palm Beach Gardens, July 29, 2012

	42 segment path:				25091 nm
	KMCO (28°25'46"N 81°18'32"W)	KRIC (37°30'19"N 77°19'11"W)	19.3°	(N)	579 nm
	KRIC (37°30'19"N 77°19'11"W)	CYQB (46°47'28"N 71°23'36"W)	23.5°	(NE)	616 nm
	CYQB (46°47'28"N 71°23'36"W)	CYVP (58°05'46"N 68°25'37"W)	7.9°	(N)	688 nm
	CYVP (58°05'46"N 68°25'37"W)	BGBW (61°09'39"N 45°25'32"W)	65.5°	(NE)	720 nm
	BGBW (61°09'39"N 45°25'32"W)	BIRK (64°07'48"N 21°56'26"W)	64.4°	(NE)	670 nm
	BIRK (64°07'48"N 21°56'26"W)	ENZV (58°52'36"N 5°38'16"E)	99.2°	(E)	845 nm
	ENZV (58°52'36"N 5°38'16"E)	LKPR (50°06'03"N 14°15'36"E)	146.6°	(SE)	607 nm
	LKPR (50°06'03"N 14°15'36"E)	LEIB (38°52'22"N 1°22'23"E)	224.1°	(SW)	869 nm
	LEIB (38°52'22"N 1°22'23"E)	LEGR (37°11'19"N 3°46'38"W)	249.1°	(W)	264 nm
	LEGR (37°11'19"N 3°46'38"W)	GMMX (31°36'25"N 8°02'11"W)	213.5°	(SW)	395 nm
	GMMX (31°36'25"N 8°02'11"W)	LEIB (38°52'22"N 1°22'23"E)	44.1°	(NE)	634 nm
	LEIB (38°52'22"N 1°22'23"E)	LMML (35°51'27"N 14°28'39"E)	102.0°	(E)	652 nm
	LMML (35°51'27"N 14°28'39"E)	LGSR (36°23'57"N 25°28'46"E)	83.3°	(E)	535 nm
	LGSR (36°23'57"N 25°28'46"E)	LTFJ (40°53'55"N 29°18'33"E)	32.5°	(NE)	324 nm
	LTFJ (40°53'55"N 29°18'33"E)	LTAZ (38°46'19"N 34°32'04"E)	116.1°	(SE)	273 nm
	LTAZ (38°46'19"N 34°32'04"E)	OJAQ (29°36'42"N 35°01'05"E)	177.3°	(S)	549 nm
	OJAQ (29°36'42"N 35°01'05"E)	OEMA (24°33'12"N 39°42'18"E)	139.2°	(SE)	393 nm
	OEMA (24°33'12"N 39°42'18"E)	OMDB (25°15'10"N 55°21'52"E)	83.9°	(E)	855 nm
	OMDB (25°15'10"N 55°21'52"E)	OOMS (23°35'36"N 58°17'04"E)	121.2°	(SE)	188 nm
	OOMS (23°35'36"N 58°17'04"E)	VAAH (23°04'38"N 72°38'05"E)	89.4°	(E)	793 nm
	VAAH (23°04'38"N 72°38'05"E)	VIAG (27°09'21"N 77°57'39"E)	48.8°	(NE)	379 nm
	VIAG (27°09'21"N 77°57'39"E)	VECC (22°39'17"N 88°26'48"E)	112.9°	(SE)	632 nm
	VECC (22°39'17"N 88°26'48"E)	VTCC (18°46'01"N 98°57'46"E)	109.5°	(E)	635 nm
	VTCC (18°46'01"N 98°57'46"E)	VDSR (13°24'38"N 103°48'46"E)	138.1°	(SE)	425 nm
	VDSR (13°24'38"N 103°48'46"E)	WMKL (6°19'47"N 99°43'43"E)	210.1°	(SW)	487 nm
	WMKL (6°19'47"N 99°43'43"E)	WSSL (1°25'01"N 103°52'04"E)	139.6°	(SE)	384 nm
	WSSL (1°25'01"N 103°52'04"E)	WARQ (7°30'58"S 110°45'25"E)	142.3°	(SE)	675 nm
	WARQ (7°30'58"S 110°45'25"E)	WADD (8°44'53"S 115°10'02"E)	106.0°	(E)	273 nm
	WADD (8°44'53"S 115°10'02"E)	WBKK (5°56'14"N 116°03'04"E)	3.5°	(N)	878 nm
	WBKK (5°56'14"N 116°03'04"E)	RPVM (10°18'27"N 123°58'46"E)	60.5°	(NE)	539 nm
	RPVM (10°18'27"N 123°58'46"E)	RPLB (14°47'40"N 120°16'17"E)	321.3°	(NW)	345 nm
	RPLB (14°47'40"N 120°16'17"E)	VHHH (22°18'32"N 113°54'53"E)	322.1°	(NW)	577 nm
	VHHH (22°18'32"N 113°54'53"E)	RCTP (25°04'40"N 121°13'58"E)	66.2°	(NE)	436 nm
	RCTP (25°04'40"N 121°13'58"E)	RJOB (34°45'25"N 133°51'19"E)	45.6°	(NE)	875 nm
	RJOB (34°45'25"N 133°51'19"E)	UHSS (46°53'19"N 142°43'03"E)	26.2°	(NE)	831 nm
	UHSS (46°53'19"N 142°43'03"E)	UHPP (53°10'04"N 158°27'13"E)	52.3°	(NE)	714 nm
	UHPP (53°10'04"N 158°27'13"E)	UHMA (64°44'06"N 177°44'29"E)	32.7°	(NE)	911 nm
	UHMA (64°44'06"N 177°44'29"E)	PANC (61°10'27"N 149°59'53"W)	88.8°	(E)	899 nm
	PANC (61°10'27"N 149°59'53"W)	PAJN (58°21'18"N 134°34'35"W)	103.1°	(E)	496 nm
	PAJN (58°21'18"N 134°34'35"W)	KBFI (47°31'48"N 122°18'07"W)	140.5°	(SE)	786 nm
	KBFI (47°31'48"N 122°18'07"W)	KRAP (44°02'43"N 103°03'26"W)	97.4°	(E)	832 nm
	KRAP (44°02'43"N 103°03'26"W)	KFLD (43°46'16"N 88°29'18"W)	86.4°	(E)	631 nm
	Total:					25091 nm

On our Way to Oshkosh

We are getting closer, but we still have some distance to fly

and we still have 1500 nm of fly 

Distances

From		To		Initial Heading			Distance
2 segment path:							1464 nm
KBFI (47°31'48"N 122°18'07"W)		KRAP (44°02'43"N 103°03'26"W)		97.4°	(E)		832 nm
KRAP (44°02'43"N 103°03'26"W)		KFLD (43°46'16"N 88°29'18"W)		86.4°	(E)		631 nm
Total:							1464 nm

The choice of Rapid City was made to take a look at the Mt Rushmore and Crazy Horse.

TBM 700KV and its RTW Crew

The IPad is a nice addition to the cockpit and L.A. admitted...he is finish with paper

On our day to Mt Rushmore we are been watched by a Dinosaur

here we are

Pretty amazing site

One tourist among many many others]

Doug and Megan enjoying the site

Annie and L.A. doing some postcard work

A side view from the road

Typical Western toen on our way back to Rapid City

A tour od the Boeing Factory in Everett

A visit was schedule to the Boeing Plant.

Home of the 767, 787, 747 what a sight....no photos allowed so I am using stock photos found on the internet.

Largest building on earth....amazing

6 millions parts are needed for the 747

The 787 is brought in piece to the plant from different part of the world and it takes 3 days ( THREE DAYS) to make one up.

Boeing is the Ford Assembly line of the 21st century, O am not over the 3 days ....

Seattle, back to the world we know......

Time now to leave Alaska and fly to the 50 lower states.

In keeping an eye on the weather system, we elected to fly down to Seattle in one day and to make a refueling stop in Juneau to avoid the rain in Ketchikan.

We have blue skies and tail winds on the take off from the Busy Anchorage Airport

For the first leg I have the back seat of the TBM to Juneua

and then the co-pilot seat, our Captain without uniform, is like every flight preparing the "Collation" with cafe and apple

On arrival in Seattle we are greeted by the Mt Rainier

Imposing display in the background

Areoflight FBO is our home for the next 3 days.

With the Museum of Flight on the filed, you do not have to guess what was on our agenda.

What a place.

The Corsaie engine....what a piece of engineering

Finally, I seat down in an SR71 cockpit

L.A. is doing the same

A nice paint job

Victor is display 

One of the 2 707 Air Force One plane

A visit of Seattle is not complete without a sinner on top of the needle, Built in 1962 it is rather small these days within the skyscraper os Seattle

But the dinner was pretty good and the dessert out of this world

And the next day a quiet visit on a sail boat in the Seattle Bay:

Anchorage

After 3 days, 2 nights in Russia, we are ready for some local delicacies that we have missed for quite a while.

This was a great Mud Pie

Our hotel, the Millennium is right next to the most busy seaplane base in Alaska and at very time of the day or dusk we have a constant interaction of water and plane, an amazing site

The Instruction board give you all what is needed to know