‘You can fly 200k every day’ – more records fall in Kenya

Further records have been claimed in Kerio, Kenya, following hang glider pilot Jeremy Soper’s 377km out and return on 21 January. On the last day of January Titi Macquet and his wife Blandine flew a 250km declared out and return in their custom tandem in a flight lasting nine hours.

Then on 3 February former acro and Red Bull X-Alps pilot Ondrej Prochazka flew 340.7km, extending the out-and-return record. Flying his X-Alps wing, a Phi Scala 2, Ondrej first flew south along the ridge before running north, before returning to his launch at Kilima.

It was one just one of multiple distance flights the Czech pilot made over the course of 26 flying days – in total he made 23 flights over 100km, flying a total distance of 5,188km. His first visit to Kenya, he said the region had delivered beyond his expectations: “It was overwhelmingly much better than ever expected. I mean, basically you can fly 200km or even almost 300km every day. It’s incredible.”

And he says he could have flown further had he not stuck to his rigid rule to turn back at 1pm. “I could have flown one hour further and would’ve been able to make 360km. But the idea wasn’t to really set a record. The idea was always to come back home and eliminate a dusty retrieve on a motorbike on a dirt road.”

Titi also said bombing out over the flats was not an option as it was home to the Rimoi nature reserve. “There’s no animal that can eat you, but there are elephants and it could still be dangerous.”

The tandem flight with his wife Blandine was made in an Ozone Swiftmax 2 and a custom harness which features a pod for her and a rear fairing behind Titi. He said he was thrilled with the flight, even if it was a bit stronger than last year, when the pair took the record to 234km.

“Compared to last year it was a little stronger. The wind was between 8-10m/s (25-28km/h). And the thermal average was 3m/s, the strongest 6-7m/s. So it was not so comfortable in the air for my wife! But I’m very satisfied to achieve these records and very happy to share this with her – to share it together is the best.”

He added that the Kerio valley region has huge potential but is really only suitable for experienced pilots. Earlier last month Maud Bidaud, a 49-year-old French pilot, died following an accident. She was flying in the region with her husband Pierre Laurens when the accident happened.