Cancer survivor in round-the-world bid
A PROMISE made by a cancer patient to himself as he lay in a hospital bed could see an intrepid Ulster pilot fly into the record books – on board an aircraft made famous by James Bond.
Larne man Norman Surplus hopes to be the first man to successfully circumnavigate the globe in a gyrocopter when he takes to the skies on St Patrick's Day.
The gruelling expedition is expected to last four months and cover more than 20 countries, including Italy, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Russia and Canada.
Mr Surplus, who is a director of local firm B9 Energy, said the quirky gyrocopter is the only type of powered aircraft never to have been successfully flown round the world.
"The craft has been around since the 1920s, but was overshadowed by the emergence of the helicopter and is often seen as an interesting oddity, having appeared in films like James Bond: You Only Live Twice and Mad Max 2," he said.
"However, I want to prove that the craft can be used as a serious form of flight, and hopefully this expedition will allow the gyro to take its rightful place alongside all other types of aircraft."
Inspiration for the amazing round-the-world record bid came after a life-threatening battle with cancer.
"I was diagnosed with bowel cancer in 2003 and given a 40 per cent chance of survival," said Norman.
"After undergoing surgery and chemotherapy the following year, I was in hospital recovering. One day I was watching daytime TV when I saw a programme of a man restoring a gyrocopter.
"It was then that I made a promise to myself that, once I had recovered, I would learn how to fly one."
With hundreds of hours of "flying hours" now under his belt, and months of preparation and hard work, Mr Surplus is finally ready to set off on his incredible journey and plans to depart from the port town next Wednesday.
His route will take him south through France and Italy, across the Middle East and Indian sub-continent, and south through Indonesia.
He will then head north through Japan, over mainland Russia and the Bering Strait until he reaches Alaska. From there, he will travel across the US and Canada, arriving at Greenland, Iceland and then back to the UK.
"Timing is crucial for this expedition," Mr Surplus explained.
"If I wait too long before setting off, I will run into monsoon season around India. Mid-March is the best time to start, and all being well, I will set off from Larne on St Patrick's Day."
And, in true Bond style, the Larne man will have to deal with the Russians.
"One condition of flying over Russian airspace is that you must be able to speak Russian, or have someone with you that can speak the language.
"Therefore, for that part of the expedition, I will have a translator with me as a passenger. During the rest of the expedition, I will be on my own."
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Weather for Belfast
Sunday 27 May 2012
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