A Virginia helicopter pilot will try to set a record for flying a helicopter around the world by making the 19,865 nm flight in 14 days. Scott Kasprowicz set a record for flying from New York to Los Angeles earlier this year (15:09.10 with six fuel stops) in his AgustaWestland Grand. The trip will be made in a factory-standard Grand, with no range or speed modifications. No team has tried to set the around the world record like this before and we’re excited about both the challenges and the rewards of such an attempt,” Kasprowicz said.
Kasprowicz made the announcement with AgustaWestland officials at Heli-Expo 2008 in Houston. They said the combination of speed and efficiency of the Grand is making the flight possible without extra gear. “We have complete confidence that the Grand will showcase the full extent of its performance capabilities during this record setting flight,” said AgustaWestland spokesman Lou Bartolotta.
