Norman Surplus
Norman Surplus (7 February 1963 – 19 April 2022)
Personal life
In 2003,
His other occupations included being a video game designer, wind-farmer and lifeboat captain. A book on his round-the-world trip was published 2022.[1]
In a 2015 interview with the CBC, Surplus mentioned that the trip should have taken approximately four months but the problems with obtaining permission to fly over Russia, which persisted for three years, derailed his plans. The major phases of his journey are as follows:
2010–2014
In 2010, Surplus commenced his global trip in an autogyro departing from Larne, Northern Ireland and flying over Europe, the Middle East, and Asia, finally reaching Japan after flying for approximately a year.
2015
On 1 June 2015, Surplus resumed his flight around the world starting from Oregon, flying through
2019
In 2019, Surplus finally obtained permission to fly through Russian airspace.
During the Russian flyover, Surplus rendezvoused with UK adventurer James Ketchell[15] and both Ketchell and Surplus then flew their respective autogyros, G-KTCH and G-YROX, in loose formation together during their pioneering Trans - Russia, Bering Straits and Alaskan crossings.
Three months after Surplus had successfully completed his circumnavigation in Oregon, Ketchell subsequently completed his own circumnavigation on his return to the UK and established the first "Speed around the World, Eastbound" FAI Record, for the circumnavigation of the world in a category E-3A Autogyro (175 days) in September 2019.[16][17] He was also subsequently awarded a Guinness World Record for the first circumnavigation of the world in an autogyro.[18]
Death
Surplus died at home, on 19 April 2022 of a heart attack, whilst battling with his third bout of cancer. He was aged 59.[1][19]
See also
References
- ^ a b c "Larne adventurer Norman Surplus remembered fondly as 'one of life's characters' following passing". Belfast Telegraph. 20 April 2022. Retrieved 20 April 2022.
- ^ a b c d e f James Temperton (12 August 2015). "Gyrocopter man completes epic round-the-world flight". Wired.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Jason Wilson (6 June 2015). "Around the world in an autogyro: cancer survivor attempts a global first". The Guardian.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k "First autogyro round-the-world trip completed by Larne pilot". BBC. 29 June 2019.
- ^ "Man completes 9-year trek around the world in a gyrocopter". CNNwire. Fox5. 30 June 2019.
- ^ a b Bonnie Bolden (31 July 2019). "Gyrocopter pilot circling the globe stops in Monroe". Monroe News Star.
On June 28, Norman Surplus became the first to circle the world in a gyrocopter, finishing an attempt he started nine years earlier that had to be delayed and restarted.
- ^ a b c d e f "Gyrocopter pilot Norman Surplus arrives back in Northern Ireland". BBC. 11 August 2015.
- ^ a b c d e "Northern Ireland man Norman Surplus completes first round-the-world autogyro flight". Belfast Telegraph. 30 June 2019.
- ^ a b "EAA Aviation Museum Adds Two Record Breaking Aircraft to Collection AutoGyro GmbH – AutoGyro MT-03". Aviation Pros. 20 August 2019.
- ^ a b c d "Gyrocopter on global journey lands in Iqaluit". CBC. 22 July 2015.
- ^ "James Bond-style gyrocopter pilot gives up on dream of flying over eastern Russia". The Siberian Times. 5 June 2015.
- ^ "Larne pilot takes to the final leg of round-the-world trip". BBC. 22 April 2019.
- ^ a b c d e Russel Keers (24 April 2019). "Norman takes flight in bid to complete nine-year adventure". Larne Times.
- ^ David Maxwell (24 May 2013). "Adventurer Norman Surplus writes letter to President Putin". BBC.
- ^ "Gyrocopter adventurer flies over coldest place on Earth". The Irish News.
- ^ "British adventurer completes first round-the-world flight in a gyrocopter". www.fai.org. 15 October 2019. Retrieved 21 March 2021.
- ^ "Surplus Success: Record-Setting Gyro Pilot Makes it Home | EAA". www.eaa.org. Retrieved 21 March 2021.
- ^ "First circumnavigation by autogyro". Guinness World Records. Retrieved 21 March 2021.
- ^ "Death Notice Surplus,Norman". FuneralTimes.com. Retrieved 21 March 2021.