Flyzolo Team Update - Day 132
Zara has just landed in #Colombo, #SriLanka. We repeat, Zara has just landed in Colombo Sri Lanka after a flight of 931nm, of which 816nm over water (that is 1724km of which 1511km over water). Yihaaaaaaaa!!!!! Well done Zara! 💪👮‍♀️The Shark🦈 and Zara were the third most watched flight in the world in the last few hours!!! ✈🙏

We have been asked why the original route over or much closer to land via Thailand, Bangladesh and northern India was altered for a much longer route over the #IndianOcean. This route, as over sea is potentially riskier, as there are no options to divert and land in case of an issue. 🌊

Well, Zara's original route had been carefully thought through and mapped out, but sometimes unexpected elements have the overhand and changes need to be made.

For the changes of route, they have been necessary due to multiple factors. Avoiding landing in China - then next even avoiding China airspace - was due to changes in covid-regulations. The changes around the Philippines were due to typhoon #Rai. The change for Thailand was also due to changes in Covid-regulations. Other changes have sometimes been advised by authorities for political reasons. The current change to fly to Sri Lanka instead of the original route via Bangladesh and Northern-India is due to heavy smog 🌫 in the area, making visibility currently almost nihil, when the Shark is not allowed to fly IFR.

Zara felt comfortable with the latest changes considering the capabilities of the Shark 🦈 and maintenance just having been done on it, but also the additional Turtle Pac fuel bladder, her already accumulated experience of long oversea flights and having now entered an area with much warmer waters 🏝.

Was this her longest over sea leg? Well, you can judge for yourself:
Vladivostok-Seoul was 906nm in total - 770nm over water
Colombo- Sri Lanka was 931nm - 816nm over water
Mumbai-Dubai will be 1038nm - 981nm over water.

So yes, longest till now, but there is a longer over sea-leg coming up, over the #ArabianSea.

How are risks being mitigated? Experienced pilots are advising Zara at all times. She has an Iridium Communications satellite system via YB Tracking which allows her to be in communications at all times with the Flight Ops team. In fact, that is exactly what is happening during every single flight. Someone of the Flight Ops team tracks every flight, for the whole flight. Reason why the Flight Ops team based out of Europe are virtually living on a different time-zone than their close friends and family ✈ 😅. Zara exchanges multiple messages with them regularly during flights about weather, heading, potentially unexpected events, etc.

Additionally, in case anything would go wrong, Zara is aware she not only has a #parachute she can pull - which would make for a soft and cockpit up landing on waters - but she also has a life-raft with her. And, there is a busy shipping route between Bandah Aceh and Sri Lanka with vessels that could be contacted in case of an immergency. Find them here: https://www.vesselfinder.com/ 🚢

Last but not least, Zara is under no time pressure (she has a full sabbatical year for this and 12 years difference with the current record holder). She reaches Belgium, when she reaches Belgium. Safety first. ✈

📷 credit for aerial pictures of 🦈: on Instagram @drmoonsmiles /@farhanzdw 🙏💪