Ballistic Recovery Systems Take The Fear Out Of Flying

Ballistic Recovery Systems used to be called Ballistic Airframe Parachutes, but the acronym BAPS, most likely drove the manufacturers to rename them. When I designed the Ikeler4000, I knew my clients would want this system as a standard feature in the aircraft. It was an easy decision for me, so it is. For those of you new to airframe parachutes, these systems allow you to deploy a full sized parachute for the airplane, so you can land safely, or at least softly, in any emergency where the airplane or pilot are compromised.
If BRS devices were in all small aircraft, the safety rate for private airplanes would probably make it higher than for cars. Small aircraft are currently as safe as riding a motorcycle. Okay, but for my vehicles, I know we can do a lot better. Commercial Airlines are the safest form of travel per passenger mile and only seem dangerous because when they do crash, many people perish with them as a group. Trains and boats are the next safest form of travel, followed by cars, and then motorcycles and private airplanes.
In this new era of air travel we are creating, danger needs to be dramatically reduced. It can and will be with BRS systems, as well as collision avoidance devices in the cockpit. Being up in the air is safer than being down on the highways, so with a little more technology, safety and fun will rise dramatically.
Dr. Doug Ikeler http://www.ikeler4000.com/

Earth Rounders Organization

On August 15th, 2009 I had a chance to hear CarolAnn Garrett speak at the Colorado 99s. The 99s are an International Organization of Women Pilots. CarolAnn just completed her second Round The World Flight in her Mooney single engine airplane and set a speed record for the event. The mission of her flight was to raise a million dollars for ALS research and she and Carol Foy called their flight a "Dash For A Cure." The ALS world flight web site can be found at http://www.alsworldflight.com/ You can donate at the site if you are interested in funding research for a cure for Lou Gehrig's disease (ALS).

CarolAnn suggested I also attend the next EarthRounders meeting to be held in Brazil in May of 2010. You can visit their web site at http://www.earthrounders.com/ Hopefully that will be a meeting I can attend as we get closer to our own Ikeler4000 Round The World Record Setting Flight.

Highlights of the meeting included extensive discussion of the preparation needed for the flight, the flight details itself, weather tracking and forecasting, and pictures of the sites seen along the way. CarolAnn also discussed the ground crew she had help her and the medical support they received to avoid health issues like blood clots in their legs from extensive sitting in one position. The meeting was fascinating and CarolAnn took time to meet with me too to answer all my questions. Thank you CarolAnn Garrett and we support you in your efforts to raise one million dollars for ALS research!

Dr. Doug Ikeler http://www.ikeler4000.com/

The Seven World Records to be set during The Round The World Record Setting Flight

The Round The World Record Setting Flight in the first Ikeler4000 will make aviation history by setting these seven records: 1) First round the world flight by a flying car. 2) First solo round the world flight in a flying car. 3) First American transcontinental flight in a flying car. 4) First transatlantic flight in a flying car. 5) First transeurasian flight in a flying car. 6) First transpacific flight in a flying car and, 7) Fastest Round the world flight in a flying car. Other records and firsts may be set during the flight as well, and new records are being considered for following flights to make the Ikeler4000 the record holder for this category of aircraft. Other flight records currently in consideration are a polar round the world flight, a southern route round the world flight, and a purely speed record round the world flight. It will all be very exciting!

Dr. Doug Ikeler http://www.ikeler4000.com/

Million Click Mission becomes popular Contest

Although we have just started this contest days ago, the feedback and response have been very positive and supportive. People have suggested too that we incorporate a school writing contest into the effort to encourage young people to participate and spread the word virally through the Internet. We are looking for a million visits to this and our affiliated websites to push funding to our completion of the aircraft and Round The World Record Setting Flight. We are looking to set an Internet record too for most hits to a web site. If you haven't entered already, go to http://www.ikeler4000.blogspot.com/ and post a great comment!

Dr. Doug Ikeler

Dr. Doug Ikeler

Honoring The Sponsors Of The Round The World Record Setting Flight

We will use this website to honor and recognize the sponsors of the Ikeler4000 Round The World Record Setting Flight. The first sponsor is the Life Extension Books published by Dr. Doug Ikeler. Revenues from this book are use to continue the development and completion of the Ikeler4000. The aircraft is approximately two-thirds complete and can be finished within six months of full funding. Dr. Ikeler has funded the project entirely on his own up to this point and would have completed it in 2007 if the sagging economy hadn't reduced his investment dollars in the same way many Americans have been affected by loss of real estate values and stocks.

The book Life Extension provides easy to use techniques to slow your metabolism and allow you to live decades longer. We all want to live longer, and we want to do so in a state of medication-free health. This book provides all the information needed to live this kind of healthy lifestyle. We live in the Twenty First Century! Gone are the days of needless medical suffering and ill health. We have the technology! Let's all start using it, as there is no better place to reduce health care costs in America than by making our citizens more healthy!

You can purchase your copy of Life Extension by going to http://www.ikelerbooks.com/

Dr. Doug Ikeler

Ikeler4000 Enthusiasts Bring Promotional Ideas To The Mission

Thanks go out today to Mark Grady of Clayton, North Carolina for his promotional suggestions for how to further the sponsorships of the Ikeler4000 Round The World Record Setting Flight!

Mark is an author, film maker, and highly experienced pilot who you can learn more about at http://www.markgrady.net/ Take a look at Mark's recently released book and movie called "Blaire's Bridge." Mark is also a speaker and flight safety instructor who gets rave reviews from his seminar's attendees. We appreciate and again, Thank Mark for his contributions to the Ikeler4000 Round The World Record Setting Flight Mission!

Dr. Doug Ikeler http://www.ikeler4000.blogspot.com/