Norman Surplus facts for kids
Norman Surplus (born February 7, 1963 – died April 19, 2022) was a brave pilot from Northern Ireland. He became famous for flying an autogyro (a type of small aircraft) all the way around the world! His autogyro was even nicknamed "Roxy."
His incredible journey started in 2010 and finally finished on June 28, 2019. It took him nine years to complete, covering over 32 countries and a total distance of about 27,000 miles (43,000 km) (that's like flying across the United States nine times!). Norman faced many challenges, especially getting permission to fly over Russia, which caused long delays. He was the first person to cross the Atlantic Ocean in an autogyro. His special autogyro, "Roxy," is now on display at the EAA Aviation Museum for others to see.
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Norman's Early Life and Dream
In 2003, when Norman was 40 years old, he faced a big challenge: he was diagnosed with bowel cancer. During his recovery, he watched a TV show about rebuilding an autogyro. This sparked his interest!
After he recovered, Norman learned how to fly an autogyro. He got his pilot's license from a special school in the UK. Soon after, he flew his autogyro from Cumbria across the Irish Sea to Northern Ireland. Norman then discovered that no one had ever flown an autogyro all the way around the world. He decided he would be the first!
Besides flying, Norman also worked as a video game designer, helped with wind farms, and was a lifeboat captain. A book about his amazing round-the-world trip was published in 2022.
Flying Around the World: Norman's Journey
Norman Surplus's trip was planned to take only about four months. However, getting permission to fly over Russia caused a three-year delay. This meant his journey took much longer than expected.
Starting the Adventure (2010-2014)
Norman began his world flight in 2010 from Larne, Northern Ireland. He flew his autogyro over Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. After about a year, he reached Japan.
During this first part of his trip, he flew over many countries. These included France, Italy, Greece, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, UAE, Oman, Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Thailand, Malaysia, and the Philippines. While flying in Thailand, he even had to make an emergency landing in a lake!
After landing in Japan, Norman planned to fly through Russia to reach the United States. He had permission at first, but delays meant his permit expired. When he tried to get a new one, the political situation made it very difficult. His autogyro had to stay in Japan for three years. In 2013, Norman even asked Russian president Vladimir Putin directly for help. Finally, in 2014, he decided to ship his autogyro to Tacoma, Washington. From there, it went to the Evergreen Aviation and Space Museum in McMinnville, Oregon, for storage.
Crossing the Atlantic (2015)
On June 1, 2015, Norman started flying again from Oregon. He flew across the United States and Canada. Then, he made a historic flight across the North Atlantic Ocean. He flew over Greenland and the Faroe Islands.
He reached the UK and landed in Stornoway on the Isle of Lewis on August 11, 2015. After a few more short flights, he landed near his hometown of Larne, Northern Ireland, on the same day. In this part of his trip, Norman flew about 7,500 miles (12,100 km). He set 19 world records and became the first person to cross the Atlantic in an autogyro! This amazing achievement is known as the "Blue Riband record."
Completing the Circle (2019)
In 2019, Norman finally received permission to fly through Russian airspace. He started the last part of his world trip from Sandy Bay, Northern Ireland, on Easter Monday. He flew over Britain, the Netherlands, Germany, Poland, Lithuania, and Estonia. Then, he entered Russia.
He flew 5,000 miles (8,000 km) through Russia. On June 28, 2019, he landed at the Evergreen Aviation and Space Museum in Oregon, United States. This landing completed the first physical flight around the world in an autogyro! Because of the long delays, his flight didn't qualify for a "speed record" around the world.
During his flight through Russia, Norman met another UK adventurer, James Ketchell. They flew their autogyros together for parts of the journey, including across Russia, the Bering Strait, and Alaska. Three months after Norman finished his trip, James Ketchell also completed his own autogyro circumnavigation. James set the first "Speed around the World, Eastbound" record for an autogyro. He also earned a Guinness World Record for his flight.
Norman's Passing
Norman Surplus passed away at home on April 19, 2022, at the age of 59. He died from a heart attack while battling cancer for the third time.
See also
- Expedition Global Eagle
