Corinth, TX - Michael Combs who became the first Sport Pilot to fly a Light Sport Aircraft into all fifty states announced today that the amount of daylight hours available to flight his REMOS aircraft from Coast to Coast is too short. The World Record attempt has officially been put on a "hold" status until next spring.
"Oh sure, it's a disappointment" said Combs, "but we just didn't have favorable weather to safely make the flight a possibility. Atlanta had over 36 inches of rain this summer and we had a continuous stream of thunderstorms blocking our flight path. When the monsoon season hit the Southwest part of the country, I knew that our odds of completion were diminishing, but the entire team remained very optimistic up to the last final possible day."
In an interview at the AirVenture air show last month, Michael announced that he had until August the 15th to successfully take off from Ontario, CA which would give him only five minutes of daylight when he reached Denton, TX that evening. While storms continued in the South he planned on a shorter flight distance for his first of only two flight days, When even that window of available daylight closed, Michael conceded that this sanctioned flight attempt was over for 2013. "I knew that it was a long shot, but even with a seven knot head wind at 10,000 ft, we would be 47 minutes shy of our goal and there simply was no other way to work the route or the numbers."
This is Michael's second attempt to set the Transcontinental record while flying daytime VFR rules. He and his son Daniel Routh were grounded just 91 miles short of their Wilmington, NC goal last year by strong thunderstorms. "I promised him that we wouldn't put ourselves in that situation again, but unfortunately we never even had the chance to take off into the sky. Between forest fires, high winds, and heavy rains it was certainly a summer to remember...for a lot of people from Coast to Coast."
Even though this World Record attempt is over for a few months, Michael is already making arrangements to set two more by next spring. These records can take several years to plan and prepare for and those who follow The Flight for the Human Spirit are no strangers to being treated to adventure and the power of determination.
"We actually have some incredible International Flights in the planning stages," explained Combs. "Our fan base continues to grow and it's because of the fact that we are offering inspiration for others to have the courage and strength to go out and follow their dreams, no matter what they are."
To learn more about The Flight for the Human Spirit, go to www.FlightHS.com
Photo Caption - Michael Combs and his REMOS aircraft named "Hope One" after completing a test flight to prepare for the next World Record.