Skip to main content

UK adventurer is first person to fly solo around world in open-cockpit gyrocopter

A British adventurer has become the first person to fly solo around the world in an open-cockpit gyrocopter - despite nearly being struck by lightning.

James Ketchell set off in the small aircraft, which is similar to the 'Little Nellie' machine seen in the 1967 James Bond film You Only Live Twice, from Popham Airfield in Hampshire on 31 March.

The 37-year-old from Basingstoke completed the 24,000-nautical mile, 175-day journey today, landing in front of hundreds of well-wishers.
He said after landing at Popham Airfield: "It's quite overwhelming, it's magical.

"I have seen many amazing sights over the last six months. Probably one of the best is flying into Popham."
Mr Ketchell added: "The highlights undoubtedly have been the people I have met, I will be paying forward favours for the rest of my life and it doesn't matter what country I was in, what language they speak, people have been so helpful, people have been amazing."

Gyrcopters operate in a similar way to gliders and are considered the predecessor of the modern helicopter.
Mr Ketchell's Magni M16C gyrocopter travels at 70 knots, with a range of just 700 nautical miles, and its cockpit is open to the weather.

His journey took him across Europe, Russia, Canada, the US and the Atlantic Ocean, heading to Greenland and Iceland, before his final staging post on the Danish Faroe Islands.

But at one point in Canada it could have all been in jeopardy.

Mr Ketchell said: "I was almost struck by lightning and had to attempt an emergency landing on the road."

He said he was glad it was raining on Sunday when he landed, as it enabled people to understand some of the challenges he faced.

Mr Ketchell continued: "It shows people that it's not that simple, flying around the world.

"People had a slightly better understanding about what I have been trying to achieve."

During the trip Mr Ketchell, a UK scouting ambassador, set himself the goal of speaking at a school in every country he visited to help motivate youngsters.

Describing visits to schools in Siberia, he said: "The look on these kids' faces, big eyes staring at me with their mouths open while I was telling these stories as they were being translated, was a really magical feeling, and all the stresses drifted away.

"This is what this is all about."
Mr Ketchell described how he spent his teenage years depressed and lacking in confidence, and how a serious motorcycle accident led him to turn his life around.

He said: "With the birth of social media, teenagers now are frightened to do anything in case they get hung, drawn and quartered because they are worried about their image.

"I try to get my message out that 'Don't worry about anyone else and get out there and do your thing and your life will become free'."

Mr Ketchell is raising funds for the Kindled Spirit and Over The Wall children's charities.


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

FRSC reinforces directive on use of google maps while driving

The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has clarified its position on the use of Google Maps, The FCT Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Ayuba Gora was quoted saying that driving with the aid of Google map using mobile phones is a serious traffic offence. Gora said this at the inauguration of the 2019 Ember Months Campaign by Lugbe Unit Command of the FRSC in Abuja yesterday. But, FRSC Spokesman Bisi Kazeem making reference to Gora’s comments said the Sector Commander was quoted out of context and his statement outrightly misrepresented. Kazeem said the FRSC as a technology-driven organisation is not and has never stood against the use of Google Maps by Motorists. The statement read: “To state the obvious, we have always enlightened the public on the position of the law on the use of phone while driving. “The statement he made during the flag off buttresses the position of the Corps, which is that any driver who intends to deploy the use of Google Map...
Post a Comment
Read more

Hurricane Hits Texas, One Person Reported Dead

Hurricane Harvey hit Texas as a Category 4 storm on Friday, battering the coast with 130-mph winds and torrential rain. It was the strongest hurricane to hit the United States in more than a decade leaving a massive destruction, loss of electricity, wrecked buildings and has so far killed at least one person. Scroll down to see more pictures of the incident:
Post a Comment
Read more

Kenyan Law Court dismisses case of man seeking compensation after his wife eloped with another man from hospital

  A lawsuit filed by a man seeking to be compensated by St Mary's Mission Hospital in Kenya for allowing his wife to leave the hospital with another man after giving birth, has been struck out by a law court.    The appellant had sued the St. Mary's Mission hospital at Kakamega law courts in 2020 seeking general damages from the facility on grounds that the hospital had discharged his wife and allowed her to leave with another man. After delivering and at the time of discharge, the wife of the appellant claimed he was the baby's father.   The court of appeal judges Patrick Kiage, Mumbi Ngugi and Francis Tuiyott sitting at the Kisumu Court of Appeal, empathized with the man, but disagreed that he (the appellant) be compensated by the hospital for not detaining his wife.  They upheld the lower court's judgement which added that there's no remedy that lies in the law for such grievances.   Kiage said;   "I agree that if a man takes the woman he loves to t...
Post a Comment
Read more