Project Dreamwings

Overview - The Challenge

I have never been one to just get in an aircraft and burn holes in the sky without actually trying to achieve something specific. So when I was ask just what I intended doing with this aircraft when it was finished, I had to sit down and think for awhile.

Then the idea came to me - LET ME FLY THIS AIRCRAFT BACK TO THE USA! Let me go and show the factory just what I had done with their aircraft! Now that sounded like something specific!

From there the excitement of the challenge just started growing! Then I thought - well I will be in the USA so I should just make a small detour and go and visit Oshkosh. The 'Mecca' for the aviators.

Then the idea expanded further. Seeing as I am almost halfway around the world already why must I turn back and go home the way I have just come. Mark Shuttleworth, our African Astronaut, circumnavigated the globe a few times proving once more that the earth is really round  but on some days I have great 'difficulties' in accepting this information at face value so just to 'convince' myself I thought - 'why not just keep going in the same direction and I should get home thus proving to myself that the world is round.'  

And so Project Dreamwings was born.

The first priority though, in this global plan was to get the aircraft I needed modified to suit me so that it would make this dream easy. It took me a while to find what I believed was the perfect aircraft. At the time I had certain criteria that needed to be met. Must have 4 seats - I am tired of flying alone - and it must have a range of at least 900NM - must reach Cape Town from Pretoria without stopping.

I then thought that this is a "once in a life time achievement" so I have to get all this on film. This was then going to require a second aircraft and a film crew to accompany me on this journey. And so the project gets bigger.

Planning the route is not that easy. We will be restricted to areas where can easily find AVGAS. Then we are not quite sure what the actual range of aircraft will be so until it is flying we can only plan a preliminary route subject to confirmation.

Thank goodness for the internet. Makes communication and research so much easier and quicker.