World-famous American adventurer Steve Fossett is hoping to land his vintage aircraft on a golf course in Ireland today in a recreation of an historic transatlantic flight.
He and co-pilot Mark Rebholz took off from Newfoundland in a Vickers Vimy bi-plane at 10.52pm yesterday.
The daredevils are attempting to recreate the 1919 feat of British pilots John Alcock and Arthur Whitten Brown, who flew from Lester's Field, St Johns, Newfoundland, to Clifden, Co Galway, in an epic journey lasting around 20 hours.
It is hoped the wood and canvas bi-plane, escorted by the Irish Air Corps, will touch down at the Connemara Championship Golf Links in Clifden later today.
It is the latest challenge to be undertaken by Steve Fosset, who currently holds world records in five sports - balloons, sailboats, gliders, airships and powered aircraft. Last March, he made the first solo non-stop round the world aircraft flight in 67 hours in the Virgin Atlantic Global Flyer and in 2002, he made the first solo round the world balloon flight.
Mr Rebholz flies vintage aircraft for fun, and is a Boeing 747-400 captain with United Airlines.
The men may be able to complete the transatlantic flight more quickly than their set target of 20 hours due to the high reported wind speeds.
During Alcock and Brown's original flight there were strong tail winds and thick cloud cover, which meant the pair confused the sea for the horizon and flew perilously close to the ocean waves at times.
There are no navigational instruments on the Vickers Vimy, so Mr Fossett and Mr Rebholz will be guided only by a sextant and compass - the instruments available to Alcock and Brown in 1919 - as well as the moon and stars.
The pilots will be flying over shipping channels due to their lack of radar and their plane's inability to fly over 5,000 feet.
The replica Vimy bi-plane previously flew a 15,000-mile journey from England to Australia in 1994, and five years later recreated the original 1920 London to South Africa flight. Both flights, like the Atlantic attempt, were sponsored by National Geographic magazine.
Peter McMillan, who assembled the team that created the replica plane, said it had radiated the spirit of pioneers wherever it travelled.
“Seeing the sunrise on the hills of Ireland will be her crowning moment,” he said.
People can follow the upcoming adventure on the internet at the Vimy Atlantic website www.vimy.org and on a special National Geographicweb page http://magma.nationalgeographic.com/ngm/vimy/
PA