PREPARATIONS FOR JEREZ – LOS REALEJOS JOURNEY
That kind of challenge is made about hope, care, hard work and interest. When it was posed to José Gaspar Plasencia, from the Town Council of Los Realejos, one of the members of FLYPA Festival organisation, he got excited abou it as much as us. After it, when the Tourism Town Councillor, Isabel Pérez, and above all, Oswaldo Amaro, the Major of Los Realejos, approved it, then that idea became more interesting.
The first analysis of the challenge has been lined according to the security matters, since it takes place over the ocean, with the effect of similar or stronger wind to those of our aircraft, and during many hours. At that extent, Antonio Quintana, as the RFAE president and together with RACE, encouraged the project by starting up the suitable contact with Aerial Army, and achieving the approval of the High Army State, to get that way the support of the best ones regarding the rescue matters of SAR.
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To face an adventure of that kind implies to do a huge number of tests and the use of technological resources which till now have been put in use in other different devices to the paramotor one. Therefore, and because of the take off that will be made on feet and without any help, during the theory preparations period, there have been made calculations on average fuel consumption, the average Km route, through the number of different spaces, the average speed, wind conditions and the characteristics of the wing motor, in order not to overload the pilot with more than 100 Kg at the moment of taking off.
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Together with Pierre Aubet from PAP, we chose the ROS 100 motor, the same as the one used in 2006. Pierre drove that motor over a chassis made just for that challenge, made lighter and with the secondary fuel tank at its back side. The “carenado” was made by Jesús, from OZU Tarifa.
Regarding the gliding wing we chose the Omega 7 pattern of Advance Swiss brand. That wing stands out on its good speed characteristics.
It is now time to look for the security issue, to date the things, to make the equipment and to practise the daily physical exercises. At Draco, the folders are open at the same time. The listing of the needs is getting longer, it is necessary a single personal boat, one buoy, perhaps a special dress, radio on aerial frequency, stroboscopic light, flares, light batteries specially to feed the systems, … the load goes on increasing. In the meantime, PAP works on the motor and Ramón makes the fuel tests upon the real consumption with different tails and wings load. The aim is to define the amount of fuel litres he will carry during the journey, thinking about the maximum capacity and the minimum one. The numbers go over 52 litres during 15 hours to 70 litres during 18 flight hours with the worst loss of fuel, what points out that the load increases more than 16 Kg, … too much, too much. |
The period of the analysis is getting intensive and we got in touch with Erziasat in Santander where they secure the use of DMR – 200 of Inmarsat, a satellite search about 1 Kg with a battery to last 20 hours. Moisés finds the Helix Tracker in England, that will be the back up line for the search, a lighter one, with the same autonomy and the fixed box which allows Ramón to use it if he falls down in the sea. Beginning to close the folders, we also looked for the life saving boat in England. It is a military pattern just over 6 Kg, the same the helicopters carry inside. Cristóbal Aranda is in charge of the buoys, the light sticks and the estroboscópica light. Antonio Quintana is in charge of the communications, who cares for the aerial radio frequency, the satellite telephones and a system which allows Ramón speak without little noise if there is any connexion with some on air radio or TV program. Though we are waiting for the support confirmation by the Aerial Army, we have arranged everything thinking about they are going to be on the alert, but not going with Ramón, that is to say, that depending on the place of the emergency situation he will have to wait some hours till he comes to be helped. Step by step the support is coming. Antonio García (bacterio) as the president of FEADA, is into contact with the Andalucía Government and he confirms the support of Andalucia Tourism. For persona reasons we got in touch with the Jerez Airport and its managing director, Estanislao Pérez, offers us that setting, besides being in contact with the Town Council of Jerez, by means of the vice president of the aerial club, Francisco Javier Moreno. The Town Major of Jerez, Pilar Sánchez, supports that project according to the plan of tourist excellence and therefore, that is the place to take off. For Ramón that will be good since he will take off from a solid land, lighted up and from a distance enough from the sea to get height and to check everything till achieving the visual contact with the SAR helicopter which will be placed in Rota, before going to the Atlantic Ocean. The confirmation was obtained and that was the day to go to Las Palmas. In the Rescue Coordination Centre we are welcome by the members of RCC – Canarias – SAR to arrange that mission. We were excited because of the challenge and we check each detail in an exhaustive way. The major Eduardo Aizpurúa will be one of the pilots who will take care of Ramón and the one who will go to Rota to start the journey. That week we calmly began to arrange the journey web site with Alberto Salguero, we make tests regarding autonomous search, the record validity device is already coming, a black small box which is carefully used, and it is called Wosloger. The supports are summing up, from Helly Hansen they promise to give a water resistant dress, and the EFE press agency will shoot the event. As it usually happens, since 1997, when Ramón went to the World Championship in Turkey, the friends of Cetursa – Sierra Nevada and Red Bull offer their unconditional support. From that time the folders are getting closed, there is a press call in Madrid in which the Army Highest State takes part, and there Alfonso Díaz arranged the mass media plan. As you will see there are many people who are working for the journey schedule and many others who also work at the backstage. Thank you everybody. That is the time to share this challenge and to go on telling in the diary of the web site.
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Ramón gets in contact with Guillermo de Armas, who is responsible for the climatic conditions. He designs routes depending on winds in three dimensions, he also imagines them analysing a great number of variations.
We talked to Moisés Robles about the satellite search which allows us to find out the fleet searching, sea markers and other ship systems.
