World Records Set For immediate release May 24, 2013 PRESS RELEASE WORLD RECORDS SET IN WW II FIGHTER AIRCRAFT-THE MAGIC “100” West Palm Beach, Florida (May 23, 2013)-Eight world and U.S. aviation records were broken and set by Palm Beach resident Douglas Matthews today. Flying his WW II P-51D Mustang, Matthews broke several long-standing aviation records for time-to-climb and ultimate altitude. In an effort planned for several months, Matthews’ support team saw him launch at 1030 AM from Indiantown airport, just miles NW of Palm Beach International airport. He was piloting a 1944 North American Aviation P-51D Mustang, a single-engine aircraft. The aircraft is un-pressurized and Matthews required supplemental oxygen for the entire flight, as well as needing to pre-breath 100% oxygen for an hour and a half prior to the flight in order to avoid the effects of the ‘bends”. The sanctioning body for aviation records in the U.S. is the National Aeronautics Association (NAA) and for world records it is the Federation Aeronautique Internationale (FAI). The long-standing records re-set by Matthews are; Time-to-climb to 9,000 meters (approx. 30,000 feet) - 18 minutes; Time-to-climb to 12,000 meters (approx. 40,000) - 31 minutes; Maximum altitude in level flight - 40,100 feet; Maximum altitude achieved - 42,500 feet. If all records are approved, they result in Matthews having set 100 U.S. and World aviation records in his flying career. “I started in 1984 to go after any record I thought was achievable. This is for sure the pinnacle of my record attempts career! I am elated just to have been able to achieve these heights in an unpressurized, un-heated propeller aircraft almost 70 years old.” For more information, see classicfighters.org
Posted on: Sun, 11 Aug 2013 21:13:24 +0000
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