Status:   

UPDATE NINETEEN
CONTACT - KELLY HALL
805-824-4608 (Dick Rutan's office)
OR 805-943-4589 (home office)
805-824-9575 fax
kelly@hughes.net (e mail)
www.canard.com (web site)


THE SPIRIT OF EAA FRIENDSHIP WORLD TOUR CONTINUES
'ROUNDING THIRD BASE, HEADED FOR HOME
The LongEZ's are flying today from Guayaquil, Ecuador to the Galapagos
Islands, which is about a four hour flight.  I just received the
following e-mail from Dick, "OFF GUAYQ TO GALAP IS. 3.5 HRS TO GO OVER
BIG BLUE OCN.  CRAWFORDS WERE GRT.  MUCHO TV-PRESS. AOK. LV 2 KRIS. DR"

While in Ecuador, both Mike Melvill and Dick Rutan enjoyed the
hospitality of Russell and Robert Crawford, who have been friends of
Dick's for years.  When the team arrived in Guayaquil, they rested up
from the long journey from Easter Island to Ecuador.  This flight was
one of the most taxing, as there aren't any islands, zero population and
no weather reporting or weather history.  The flight was expected to
take between 16 and 18 hours, but the LongEZ's were anxious to touch (or
at least see) land again, so the pilots pushed up the power a bit, at
the expense of good fuel consumption.  Not a problem, however.  They
landed with plenty of fuel in just 15.4 hours.

Russell Crawford just called to let me know Mike and Dick were airborne
again (enroute Galapagos Islands) and mentioned that while in Ecuador,
someone had asked them what they do during those long over water
flights.  Without hesitation, Mike responded, "We listen to the sounds
of the engines."

The airplanes have been running very well, and have only needed minor
repairs and parts replacements.  Mike's wife, Sally, has always been
able to stay a step ahead, and has been able to have "just the right"
parts waiting for them at their next stop.  Communications have broken
down a little.  Seems that while in Norfolk, both internal modems were
blown when they hooked up to the e-mail.  That failure has made
communication difficult and intermittent, but Mike has since purchased
an external modem, and we're all "talking" again.  Communications will
halt for two days, as when they reach the Galapagos Islands, the pilots
will be guests aboard a yacht for three nights, and there aren't any
telephone facilities aboard.  During that time, they will tour the
Galapagos Islands aboard the yacht, all arranged by Russell Crawford.

>From Galapagos, they will fly to Mexico City, where a large group of EAA
Members are waiting to hear their tales of "Around The World In 80 Days,
Give Or Take A Couple."  After that, they're coming home.  

Since they are able to get on line again, they will be able to answer
the three weeks worth of questions I have sent regarding auto fuel
performance, repairs, etc. and they'll update me about their Pacific
Ocean crossing.  That information and more should be packed in update
twenty.  Until then...

blue skies!

Kelly

This trip has been made possible by our great sponsors:  The
Experimental Aircraft Association, Avemco Insurance, Toshiba, Trimble,
INMARSAT, COMSAT, Sun N Fun, Mattituck, Superior Air Parts, Inc., Wayne
Wright at www.canard.com, Aircraft Spruce and Specialty, Dick Blosser,
Dr. George Jutila, MentorPlus, Leslie Carlsen, Harry Maybeck and more.