Adventurer circumnavigates the world in gyrocopter
James Ketchell flew solo in an open-cockpit gyrocopter around the world. …
Image copyright PA Media An adventurer has become the first person to fly solo around the world in an open-cockpit gyrocopter.
James Ketchell, 37, from Hampshire, has covered 24,000 nautical miles over 175 days since starting his challenge in March.
The adventurer, who landed in Basingstoke on Sunday afternoon, said the experience had been “magical”.
His flight path took him over Europe, Asia, and North America, during 122 separate flights.
Describing the experience Mr Ketchell said: “It’s all a massive blur to be honest, the fact that I have literally flown around the world, it hasn’t sunk in, it’s probably going to take quite a while to. It feels really good, it’s been magical.”
The UK Scouting Ambassador flew a MAGNI M16C gyrocopter, which travels at 70 knots with a range of just 700 nautical miles, and has a cockpit open to the weather.
He compared it to “flying a motorbike in the sky”.
He was almost struck by lightning at one point but said crossing the Atlantic Ocean from Greenland to Iceland had been his hairiest moment.
“The weather had deteriorated quite badly – almost zero visibility – and you need to be able to see when you’re flying,” he said.
“I was able to get through it, but if not I would’ve had to have ditched into the Atlantic Ocean.”
The motivational speaker said he had only learnt to fly gyrocopters two years ago, so people thought he was “a maniac”.
The challenge follows his previous “ultimate global triathlon” which saw him row across the Atlantic Ocean in 2010, climb Everest in 2011 and cycle 28,969 km around the world in 2013.
Asked what is next, Mr Ketchell said that no human being had ever circumnavigated the earth by air, land – and sea.
The challenge has raised more than £10,000 for charities.
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