Well, that glorious day is here :-rotorMETAR EHAM 221225Z 13009KT 100V160 CAVOK 07/M00 Q1025 NOSIG=If it holds up tomorrow, I'm off to EHAM for some photography.

Here's the map

Off at 1240, ETA KMYR 1415z.Where the final journey began, pad 39A; Godspeed Columbia and our prayers are with you and your famlies.GeraldKMLB

Gerald,Thanks for paying tribute.If we AVSIMmers have no brain*, at least we have a heart.Mike--*Who would race around the world flying east to west against almost every prevailing headwind?

And still have tailwind wherever it counts :-lolHope you have better weather arriving at Myrtle than I did for the recon. Visibility zero down to the ground.

About halfway, revised ETA 1405.Thanks, guys. Living on the Spacecoast this really hits close. I have lots of friends and neighbors who work at KSC. This has really shaken the entire community.Let you know when I'm doen.Best,GeraldKMLB

Good luck at Myrtle, Gerald.Some looking around suggests that the entire eastern seabord is socked in with fog this morning.If necessary, you can divert to Atlanta Peachtree KPDK--going inland and to higher country.KPDK 221253Z 19009G15KT 10SM -RA SCT070 BKN100 17/17 A2945 RMK AO2 SLP971 P0012 T01720167 Jeroen, even KLGA has limited visibility.KLGA 221313Z 05004KT 1SM -RA BR OVC001 01/01 A2989 RMK AO2 P0004 Mike

I noticed. We're arriving in thick soup. Good thing there's ILS and flat land all around :-)

Ok guys, we're going to go with Option 1.Here is what is going to happen:You guys head up from KMYR to KLGA and wait for us to catch up. It could be quite a while, but we're going as fast as we can. Once you get to KLGA, I'll declare you the winners. Once we catch up, I will set up a time to do the leg. It looks like it will be some time tonight or tomorrow morning. I will make it convenient for the greatest number of people. We're going to do this last leg on VATSIM. If you don't know what VATSIM is, or how to use it, head on over to www.vatsim.net. You should have more than enough time to set yourself up on it before the race.The actual flight:We will let you guys take off and then we'll follow you to Boston. We'll let you land first, then we'll come in.I will be back later with the official time to come online.Congratualtions on making it back to the USA!

Jeroen,If it's ok with you, I'll fly my trusty old Cheyenne in parallel with your Starship. (Well, more or less. I am not VATSIM capable, but can follow you using ServInfo. The Piper is slightly slower than the Beechcraft, but we should be fairly close.)Roughly, what is your flightplan? Direct GPS? What altitude? ...I'd love to put a cap on this project--if only as a shadow pilot.Unless and until Paul (METRO752) shows up, you should be the final race leg pilot. (We can always get Paul to lead the "celebration leg" to KBOS.)Anyone else care to join us?Best,Mike--BTW I take back my original suggestion of going to DCA-IAD-BWI for a group flight. The weather is just too rotten.

Had a VOR plan in mind:KMYR-CRE-ILM-ISO-CVI-CCV-SWL-SIE-CYN-COL- LG (NDB, IAP for the ILS04 at 110.50/43 degrees).Was planning on FL350, and a relatively steep descent to spend the least time in IMC.

Matt,Just a personal note of thanks for organizing this. The race turned out to be spectacular fun for everyone involved. (And, it seems, fun for the entire flightsim community. The AVSIM thread alone generated over 3,000 views this week.)And let me congratulate Team Flighsim for the great effort. Once you guys saw the South America "gap", you created an inventive solution. Tip of my cap to you all.Best,Mike MacKuen

in need of any pilots this morning? - dcc

Jeroen, got it. Will set up immediately.Gerald, the good news is that the fog is lifting at Myrtle Beach.Mike

Join in the fun, we're flying KMYR-KLGA together as a previctory celebration.I'm on VATSIM, sitting on the ramp awaiting the baton.