Howdy Everybody!
Just a quick update. James is fast asleep snoring away peacefully after a morning at the field chatting convincingly to our new friends at the FAA. They are doing all they can to get us out of here ASAP. It certainly will not be today, 30th, but we are confident all will be in place for a departure tomorrow.
We will give a detailed update later after James’ beauty sleep and I have had a swim and kicked back on the beach! After all it is THE place to do just that, I could never sleep with this beach action going on! We hope to hear from FAA later so we can plan for the flight.
Look forward to letting you know! Now for that beach!
ChowJean
Message sent by Jean to one aviation forum:
Howdy everybody!
James and I have been at the airfield all morning doing final tweaks to the bullet after fitting and testing our funky new bit of kit. Yeah man, we got ourselves hooked up with “SAN FRANCISCO RADIO” It was amazing when we did a radio check last night just outside the hanger and made contact with with those blokes at SFR 4000km away.
James ,exhausted from spending time this morning with our new friends at the FAA is catching up on a bit of sleep and I am sure on waking will update some more detail. Jim, you are quiet correct, after that contact with SFR last night I am astounded at the power of HF. I can now for the first time understand amateur radio ham addictions and I am sure that we are going to love having it as a tool. Although I don’t really want to be way out there over the Pacific ocean in storms with no alternates closer than 2000km without an HF radio or sat phone again, I am very glad that James and I have done it.
There have been times when we have been out of contact with the world in darkest nights and wildest storms and no position fix for hours , well off course and no land for mega miles. These are the times I have felt the most alive. There is something about that place and space that cannot be descibed. You have to go there to feel it. And somehow having the HF on board, that place, is no longer a space!
Till laterAdios
