XSWEDEN BREAK TRIKE RECORD
Paco Diaz, flying the support trike with the camerman onboard during Dani Martiniez’s recent record attempt, came away with the tandem trike record.
Although the weather conditions did not allow the Spanish record-hunting expedition to fulfil their objective of flying 1500 km across Sweden, last Monday 2nd of July, they managed to set a world record in Paratrike (PL2) and Dani Martinez announced that he will make another attempt in August. His team partner Paco Diaz, who flew with a cameraman in a tandem trike (Fly Products Eco 2 with a Gin Beetle glider of 41m2), set a new world record of distance for this type of flight after covering around 430 km. Paco is an expert trike pilot and reported to have found very strong conditions, with thermals up to 10 m/s! He landed at dusk with 40 litres of fuel in the tank.
Dani was forced to land after covering around 500 km in straight line due to stormy weather on his route and some problems with the paramotor. First, the exhaust pipe broke causing the engine to lose power, and producing a lot of noise! Then, Dani hit a very strong thermal and one of the fuel bags on the side of the paramotor touched the tip of the propeller. “Suddenly I took a shower of fuel; it was very scary to think that I could burn up there with a spark! So, I killed the engine and waited to get dry to restart it, but I had lost nearly 35 litres of fuel –a third part of the total. Moreover, I had a full tank on the other side and the weight forced me to correct the course with the glider brake for the next 6 hours – very tiring”, recalls Dani.
Still, he thought it would be possible to complete a big part of the route if there was south wind on the way, as forecasted, and he went on. Paco decided to land safely before it got dark and left Dani alone heading to the midnight sun. After some km, the pilot found a threatening cloud on the way and decided it was the end of the journey –not of the X-Sweden 1500 project.
“The most difficult part of a challenge like this is to have all the elements you need to complete it: right weather, no engine failures, good wind for launch, a bit of luck… But I am now convinced that it is possible to do it. I felt well during the flight despite the difficulties, and I know I will be able to make it, maybe in August when I go back to Sweden, if the weather cooperates”, says Dani, who flew a Fly Products paramotor with Corsair engine and high hang point, and a Paramania Revolution glider of 36 m2. The pilot launched with 140 kg of gear on his back after waiting until 10:30 am for some wind to help with the inflation.
The former European champion gave special thanks to the ‘X-Sweden 1500’ supporters and all the people that followed the record attempt on internet last Monday. “Records are there to be beaten, and I hope to offer you all a 1500km-flight soon”, he concluded.