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  Bill's Log
and Statistics

BILL FINLEN

BONANZA VH-TYE
APRIL 1 - MAY 24, 2002


 Bill Finlen ready to go... The thought that I could fly my Bonanza around the world came many years ago.
My flying "hobby" started with models then gliders and progressed to power flying in about the mid 80's.
It did not take long for me to realise that my Bonanza was capable of better things than local flights and soon I was off to New Zealand, Papua New Guinea and other South Pacific Islands.
The real test came in 1995 when I met two German pilots (Juergen and Gunter), flying V-tail Bonanza's (just like mine) around the world. A third Bonanza, also like mine, ditched off the Marshal Islands and the Australian Navy rescued the pilot, Horst.
That did not deter the Bonanza lovers and in 2000 I joined Juergen and flew with him across the Atlantic from his hometown in Germany to Oshkosh USA via Iceland and Greenland.
Just fly West... At the Oshkosh meeting, I was fortunate to attend the inaugural meeting of the "Earthrounders" Association and shortly after the meeting, I set the date for my very own ATW trip so I could qualify for membership to that very prestigious group. I set the date to leave Australia on my 60th birthday - the 2nd April 2002. So the date was set and the planning commenced.
My plane was prepared with some new equipment and in particular the long range fuel system. That system and my own "systems" were tested on a return flight to Perth and on that flight broke or created three world records for the class. So I new that my plane could do the job and that I was also able to handle the long flights.
Over the next 12 months or so, my work suffered as I prepared for the flight. Things like good quality survival gear were hard to come by. Having talked to Horst at great length about his rescue, I realised that flying a single engine plane around the world had risks and a ditching was a very real possibility. I wanted the best survival equipment I could afford. So the plane was ready and my birthday was approaching fast.
All I had left was to finalise the route and direction of flight.
I have done it I talked to lots of people about the more favourable winds etc and in the end, opted to fly west to take advantage of the longer daylight. Some flights were made with an extra 3 hours of available daylight. I wanted to arrive in daylight when customs etc would be easier to manage meaning I would need to take off well before sunrise. Because the family had arrived for my departure and it was more convenient, I departed 1 day early - the 1st April 2002. It just happened to be "April Fools Day" and the start of an adventure that I could never forget!

I've finally done it ....


The full story of Bill Finlen's Flight around the World can be seen on his site: http://www.airsafaris.com.au



Filling the ferry tank Baboon beaters
Filling the ferry tank in the Seychelles Babboons beaters guarding the Bonanza in Kenya
   
With 3 Eartrounders On Waikiki Beach
Three Earthrounders and one to be...
With Jay Showers, Bob Reiss and Murray Goodrich
Waikiki Beach with Willie Tashima
   


 Bill's Route
 


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World Flight Route and Statistics


Date ICAO Code FLIGHT Dist: NM Fuel: Lts Flight Time Lts/Hr Average Speed:
Knots
01/04/02 YBAF-YBRM Archefield-Broome 1,844 529 11.08 47.7 166.43
03/04/02 YBRM-YPXM Broom-Christmas Isl. 1;061 298 7.35 40.5 144.35
05/04/02 YPXM-VCBI Christmas Ils-Colombo (Sri Lanka) 1,869 670 14.75 45.4 126.71
07:04:02 VCDI-FSIA Colombo-Seychelles 1,630 506 12.17 41.6 133.94
15/04/02 FSIA-HKNW Seychelles-Nairobi (Kenya) 1,140 374 8.25 45.3 138.18
18/04/02 HKNW-Ol Kiombo Nairobi-Safari (Ol Kiombo 102 50 0.75 66.7 136.0
20/04/02 Ol Kiombo-HKNW Safari-Naivasha-Wilson 127 60 1.43 42.0 88.81
21/04/02 HKNW-HUEN Nairobi-Entebe (Uganda) 275 100 1.82 54.9 151.10
22/04/02 HUEN-FEFF Entebe-Bangui (Central African Republic) 958 285 6.52 43.7 146.93
23/04/02 FEFF-DIAP Bangui-Abidjan (Ivory Coast) 1,373 376 9.50 39.6 144.53
25/04/02 DIAP-SBRF Abidjan-Recife (Brazil) 2,042 551 13.13 42.0 155.52
27/04/02 SBRF-SBMQ Recife-Macapa 1,132 328 7.88 41.6 143.65
28/04/02 SBMQ-SBBE Macapa-Belem 180 75 1.23 61.0 146.34
29/04/02 SBBE-SVMI Belem-Caracas (Venezuela) 1,439 384 9.17 41.9 156.92
03/05/02 SVMI-MUHA Caracas-Havana (Cuba) 1,172 330 7.43 44.4 157.74
05/05/02 MUHA-KMIA Havana-Miami Int (Florida) 238 89 1.65 53.9 144.24
05/05/02 KMIA-7FL6 Miami Int-Spruce Creek 208 63 1.83 34.4 113.66
07/05/02 7FL6-KAXH Spruce Creek-Houston South (TX) 785 264 5.53 47.7 141.95
08/05/02 KAXH-KIER Houston South-Natchitoches (LA) 182 52 1.12 46.4 162.50
08/05/02 KIER-KADH Natchioches-Ada (OK) 257 76 1.68 45.2 152.98
10/05/02 KDAH-KSEE Ada-San Diego, Gillespie (CA) 1,061 357 7.65 46.7 138.69
12/05/02 KSEE-KDSM Gillespie-Browns Field 15 25 0.17 147.1 88.24
14/05/02 KDSM-PHTO San Diedo-Hilo (Hawaii) 2,177 686 14.67 46.8 148.40
15/05/02 PHTO-PHNL Hilo-Honolulu 192 73 1.35 5401 142.22
17/05/02 PHNL-PLCH Honoilulu-Christmas Isl (Kiribati) 1,165 409 8.33 49.1 139.86
18/05/02 PLCH-NSTU Christmas Isl-Pago Pago ( Am. Samoa) 1,268 394 8.40 46.9 150.95
20/05/02 NSTU-NFFN Pago Pago-Nadi (Fiji) 713 245 5.53 44.2 128.93
24/05/02 NFFN-YBBN-YBAF Nadi-Brisbane 1,492 495 10.17 48.7 146.55
TOTALS     26,097 8,144 180.5 45.1 144.55
Date ICAO Code FLIGHT Dist: NM Fuel: Lts Flight Time Lts/Hr Average Speed:
Knots

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Last update: June 6, 2021
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