Distance Record Set in Single Seater Pendulum Trike
On Saturday July 11, 2020, Jean-Claude Quenault and Blaise Bouchet broke the distance world record in single seater pendulum trike, as well as the consumer world record. They crossed France from North to South without landing.
A LONG AND METICULOUS PREPERATION…
This record for distance in single-seat pendulum ULM was owned by Patricia Taillebresse and dated from 1987, with a distance of 811 km in a straight line nonstop, in France. If this record had not been beaten until then, it is because the difficulties are numerous (preparation, weather, mechanics, endurance of the pilots and machines, etc …).
Jean-Claude Quen
ault is pilot at the Loches club – LF3752 (Indre-et-Loire, 37, France) and is a great sportsman. Blaise Bouchet is based in Couhé – LFDV (Vienne, 86, France). They chose this flight according to favorable weather conditions: they flew from Dunkerque Les Moëres – LFAK – France (runway in a polder, below sea level, at an altitude of minus 6 feet!) To reach the ULM base of Oloron-Herrere – LFCO, near Oloron-Sainte-Marie (in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques, 64 – France) : 906 km in a straight line (the actual distance traveled is approximately 956 km for bypass aerial areas). The flight plan was prepared at length with crossing points around Rouen, Tours, Poitiers, Angoulême, east of Pau and finally the arrival at Oloron-Herrere, respecting all air zones and regulations.
For this type of record, it was necessary to check that the weight of the vacuum machine is within the framework of the homologation. So the vacuum machine (without fuel) weighs 120 kilos: a featherweight! The weighings were made before departure and after arrival, under the gaze of official controllers.
The single-seater pendulum trike used are “Alizé” from the manufacturer ELLIPSE, with a MysticCX wing, and a “Swissauto 250 cc” engine with 35 hp. A magnificent machine and very well constructed. And a very good motor. The pilots therefore flew 11:58 hours, from Dunkerque to Oloron-Sainte-Marie, achieving an unrivaled sporting performance.With this very efficient machine, you have to be moved with delight when such a feat is achieved. In contrast to a highly technological feat with overdoped engines, a sporting challenge of a long course was achieved this July 11. These are pilots who braved fatigue and turbulence in a tonic aerology. They piloted with finesse a simple machine: a real Ultra Light Motorized (ULM). And therein lies the strength and the pleasure of this record: in the humility and simplicity of the ULM spirit.
Jean-Claude Quenault
Blaise Bouchet and Jean-Claude Quenault
They took off at 5:43 am from Dunkerque. The flight was tracked live from the ground using GPS trackers provided by the FFPLUM (ULM Federation). They landed at the foot of the Pyrenees mountains around 5:50 p.m. (where new official controls were carried out).
Blaise Bouchet
This flight, which lasted almost 12 hours over a distance of 906 km in a straight line, will then be officially approved by the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FAI). It is indeed a feat, which, beyond the world record, is a real adventure, sporting and mental. It is also a consumption record, with 3.5 liters of gasoline per hour of flight (Jean-Claude Quenault’s ULM was equipped with a three-bladed E-PROPS propeller which made him consume less than the ULM by Blaise Bouchet). However, flying over France from north to south above all leaves memories of unforgettable landscapes!
Jean-Claude Quenault and Blaise Bouchet thank all those who helped them (in particular the recuperative drivers for the outward and return journeys, the ULM club in Loches, as well as the Dunkerque-Les Moëres and Oloron clubs, the metalworker Philippe Gervais), ELLIPSE and Jean-Marc Rousselet, the sponsors, the FFPLUM, and Helvenco he producer of swissauto 250 engine!
Tired after this long flight, perhaps they will now work on new routes to try to achieve more than 1000 km, … but they will then probably have to cross the French borders.