7 summits by Microlight

Home
Talks & presentations
 
Latest news
25 Oct 2006 FAI Gold Air medal
1 Dec 2005, Aconcagua expedition
4 Feb 2005, RAeC Awards
16 Dec, RAeC Britannia Trophy
1 Jan 2005, 3rd place Best of ExplorersWeb 2004 Awards
1 June, Home
22 May, Fog again
23 May, Hollywood
24 May, Full story
24 May, Summited!
21 May, Nearly
20 May, Rain
19 May, Flora
18 May, Smelly socks
16 May, Line break
17 May
15 May, A narrow escape
14 May, Fog
13 May, Camp life
12 May, Runway repairs
11 May, Yaks, Naks & Jopkyoks
10 May, Syangboche
9 May, fog
8 May, Everest in sight!
19 Apr, Pokhara
23 Apr, Oxygen
26 Apr, Lukla
5 May, Still Lukla
6 May, We have fuel!
Apr 25, Kathmandu
30 Mar, Kit despatched
6 Mar 25,280 ft
3 Mar Hypobaric test
5 Mar Guidonia
31 Jan
 
Weather
Weather maps
Daily forecasts
 
R and D
Cold test
Glider development
Trike development
 
History
RMH pilot CV
Chronology of Everest aviation
Gliders
Aeroplanes
Emil Wick
Microlights
Lukla airfield
Mingbo airfield
Balloons
Hang gliders and Paragliders


(UTC + 5:45)
2-1

News release: 12 May, Runway repairs


 

 

 
Our trusty Sherpa porters returned at 7 this morning to complete the runway repairs, they really are an astonishingly hard working bunch, probably 4 or 5 tons of earth was moved onto our new improved runway. The soil here is a very light material which turns to very fine dust when it is dry. I can only hope that as our flights are all going to be early morning that it will be slightly damp or Angelo is going to collect quite a mouthful of dust as I accelerate down the runway.

We have about 400 m of strip. We have 'improved' about 250m, by which time both Angelo and I should be airborne. The remaining 150 m at the far end of the strip is the part in best condition and is plenty of space to stop in an emergency. We will try a couple of flights tomorrow.

Check out the weather reports on this site. It looks as though we might have a short window of opportunity for an attempt on Everest in four of five days time, winds forecast are 10 - 15 m/s which is within our limits, and the humidity looks good (high humidity = lots of cloud). Angelo has been speaking with his contact at North side base camp and apparently their asessment of the forecast is similar to ours and climbers are beginning to ascend to Advance base camp with a view to summiting around the 16 or 17th. This particuar weather window is not a big one, the jetstream only briefly dips to the North so our timing will have to be right.

This evening I tried out our Gamow bag. This is a very simple device which has saved numerous people's lives when threatened with altitude related conditions such as AMS or Acute Mountain Sickness. All it is is a cylinder made out of the same sort of stuff as an inflatable boat, but with a sort of leakproof zip. Put the patient inside and pump the foot pump and the apparent altitude inside the bag will decrease the more you pump. With a vario inside I was taken down 500 metres in a matter of seconds, Oscar, our Doctor didn't think it wise for me to go down any more, but we proved it works. Some people would undoubtedly find it rather claustrophobic, the two 'windows', if they can be called that are tiny, but an incredibly simple device for saving lives.

ALPHA emergency parachute
 
 
ICARO 2000 Hang Gliding World Champion
 
 
The FIAT group
 
 
THE NORTH FACE clothing for extreme conditions
 
 
Articole Studios - GRP mouldings
 
 
AdventureWeather.com providing Meteorological information to the expedition
 
 
O-ZEE flight suits.  Suppliers of Bar-mitts to the expedition.
 
 
Neltec flexible heaters
 
 
Industrial Pressure Testing Ltd; Suppliers of Oxygen cylinders to the expedition.
 
 
BAILEY AVIATION manufacturers of Paramotors and automotive sport acessories
 
 
Lyndhurst Touchdown Services.  Supplier of fuel system components to the expedition.
 
 
SKYDRIVE, the UK Distributor of ROTAX engines
 
 
Mainair Sports; UK dealer for Warp Drive Propellors
 
 
MAINAIR SPORTS  manufacturers of fine microlight Aircraft
 
 
PEGASUS AVIATION manufacturers of fine microlight Aircraft
 
 
PARAMINA; Suppliers of Oxygen equipment to the expedition
 
 
Gerbings heated clothing
 
 
Quatar airways
 
 
FLYCOM Intercom and Radio equipment
 
 
menu2 2-2 3-2 4-2 sponsors-2
Page last reviewed
12 May 2004
2-3 Contact   RMH      info@angelodarrigo.com 4-3