Microlight breaks record using Crete as waystation

After leaving Sitia on the 8th March 2014, he and his co-pilot Richard Bird flew G-SCMG, the Ikarus C42 microlight from one end of Africa to the other, then turned around and flew the whole length again, finally arriving back in Europe on the 7th May 2014...60 days later.

They returned to Europe at the “delightful” Cretan airport of Sitia where they were welcomed by old friends and other wellwishers, that entertained them during the night and smoothed their transit through the airport for their departure today.

He and his co-pilot Richard Bird aimed to be the first from the UK to fly a microlight the 12,500 miles to Cape Town and back, without ground support or accompanying aircraft, over large stretches of water, desert and jungle – with not much more than a Swiss Army Knife and a flask of coffee to protect and comfort them on the many planned, and possibly unplanned, stopovers. A far less luxurious journey than the elegant Imperial Airways flights of the 1930s!

The route took them from Goodwood, across the Channel to France, then on to Italy, Croatia, Greece and Crete, over the Mediterranean Sea to Egypt, Sudan, then to Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, Botswana – finally landing at Cape Town in South Africa. They then started to retrace their flying footsteps to return to Goodwood.

Ex-fireman Richard Foster says ‘I’m doing it for fun, the sheer adventure and to show that the latest breed of lightweight, fuel efficient microlights are not only a joy to fly but have the capability and reliablility to withstand the severe weather and hostile terrain that can be expected on this demanding route.’

A microlight fanatic, Richard’s love of flying has taken him on many adventures. Last summer he flew his microlight 4,000 miles from London to Crete and back AND made an attempt at the World Fixed-Wing Microlight Altitude Record.