Flight4Life pilot at dusk in Victoria, Australia
“The effort from the team has been 100%” said team leader Mark Jennings-Bates, adding “Whether it is Glenn continuing to push in weather that many pilots would avoid or the ground crew doing Formula 1 style service work on the motor when needed, there is no doubt that everyone has pulled their weight.”
Jennings-Bates was hoping to be one of the pilots who could lay claim to a new world record, but after a bad launch, breaking a propellor in Queensland, he was forced to take a back seat on the flying and leave the world record attempt to Derouin.
“We are not over the finish line yet, but we are really proud of the accomplishments so far” said Jennings-Bates.
Those accomplishments include:
The first paramotor flight from north Australia to south Australia
The longest paramotor expedition in Australia and
The first paramotor flight across the Nullarbor
The team also expects to be the first to have flown across the country from east to west.
Even without the weather challenges they have experienced, the adventure is a serious undertaking for any paramotor pilot and the equipment has been key to their success. Both the Parajet motors and Dudek wings have allowed the team and pilot to press on in punishing conditions and fly in much more severe weather than is typical.
The team hopes to arrive in Perth, Western Australia on Wednesday or Thursday next week with a provisional Guinness World Record and are scheduled to have their final flight land at the base for the Royal Flying Doctor Service at Jandakot airport.
The team is recording a lot of their activities for a future TV show that they hope will document not only their struggle, but the struggle of the people they are trying to help.
Donations are being accepted for the Royal Flying Doctor Service and Rally4Life, details on the two charities and how to donate can be found at www.tehflight4life.com.
As soon as Jennings-Bates returns to Canada after this adventure, he will start training for the next, a 100km Ultramarathon in Guatemala in November to raise money for an orphanage and school in the region.
Supporters can follow the teams progress live on the internet with satellite tracking provided by HELIOS Global Tracking. To follow, log into their website at www.theflight4life.com
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Contact:
Mark Jennings-Bates
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The Flight4Life is a world record attempt designed to raise funds and awareness for Rally4Life Foundation in Canada and the Royal Flying Doctor Service in Australia
Photo:
http://www.prlog.org/
