Round-the-World Flights

Claxton & Cink (#1) Round-the-World Flight

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Claxton & Cink	Title #2	Title #3	Title #4	Title #5

	Phil Claxton got his private license a couple of days after he got out of the 
Army in August 1970.  A few years later he read an article about Dennis Dalton & Terry Gwynne-Jones 
of Australia who in 1975 flew a Beechcratf twin-engine Duke setting a round-the-world 
speed record of 122 days. Finishing the article, he said to himself, "I can do that!"
	In his living room he simply ran a string around the family globe and planned his 
proposed routing for a flight round-the-world.  His main criterion was to chose a path at 
least the distance of the Tropic of Cancer (22,000 miles).  He purchased a Twin Engine Piper 
Aerostar 601P, named it the "American Spirit" and painted it red, white and blue with stars
and bars.  He installed a state-of-the-art avionics and GNS navigation system costing almost 
as much as the plane itself but worth every penny of its cost. 
	While the avionis and nav systems were being installed, Phil met avionics guy, Jack Cink 
who later would become co-pilot on Phil's successful round-the-world flight.  Phil got his 
multi-engine rating, accumulated lots of Aerostar flying hours and increased his flying 
confidences.  He had four additional fuel tanks installed where the rear seats once were 
incrasing the fuel capacity to almost 400 gallons.  With his friend, Steve Garfinkel, he took 
off from runway 18 at National Airport, Washington DC on his trip round-the-world.  Their 
goal was Keflavik Island but when running low on fuel, they altered their destination to 
Narsarsuaq Greenland.  Phil said to Steve, "Thanks to the GNS."  After a difficult 
approach and landing on a pierced steel plank runway aimed directly toward the base of a 
glacier and becoming aware that two of the rear gas tanks had imploaded like crushed beer cans, 
Phil and Steve made an executive decision to abandon their flight and return to Washington DC.
	Repairs to the fuel tanks were made and this time with Jack Cink as co-pilot, a second
round-the-world	flight attempt was made.  They took off from Santa Barbara CA, refueled in Fort
Worth TX and landed in Boston MA.  They made Keflavik Island this time.  On their next leg to 
Istanbul Turkey, they made an unscheduled landing in Manchester England to repair a malfunctioning
oil pressure guage. They lost 8 hours in Istanbul waiting for a fuel truck that was delayed due 
to a military night curfew.  After their next scheduled stop in Karachi Pakistan with delays from
paperwork formalities and refueling seven separate tanks, they were 12 hours behind schedule.
	Kuala Lumpur Malaysia was their next stop before reaching Naha Okinawa. Then, while heading
for Wake Island, they diverted to Iwo Jima where the Japanese were very accommodating even 
giving them free fuel. The rest of the flight was uneventful and they completed their 
round-the-world flight landing in Santa Barbara CA.
	They exceeded their 100 hour flight plan by 25 hours and missed beating the speed record by 
3 hours. Another day - another attempt. 

Itinerary:

Departed Santa Barbara CA                 xx/xx/76
     Fort Worth TX              							
     Boston MA
     Keflavik Island
     Manchester England
     Istanbul Turkey
     Karachi Pakistan
     Kuala Lumpur Malaysia
     Naha Okinawa
     Iwo Jima


Arrived Santa Barbara CA                  xx/xx/76

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