Any Kiwis here please?

Montblack wrote:

This guy flew his Stock RV-4 Vans homebuilt to Oshkosh ...from Australia.
http://www.vansaircraft.com/public/jj-tripe.htm
(check out all 4 story tabs)

Aussie Jon Johanson did indeed build an RV-4 and fly it to Oshkosh.
Actually he flew it all around the world - three times (west to east,
east-to-west, then over the North Pole. However, his RV-4 is far from
stock - it's extensively modified for ultra-long-range. Jon gave a talk
at Oshkosh last year and shared some of the details. If you get a chance
to hear him don't miss it.

I first met Jon at Oshkosh in 2000 - he was in the midst of his third
round the world flight then. I invited him to visit the Noon Patrol
Nieuport builders in Independence Oregon. It wasn't much out of his way
since Independence is only 30 miles from Vans Aircraft. I've had the
opportunity to meet Jon a few more times and he's no stereotypical wild
Aussie, he's a very professional and extremely well-prepared pilot.

Here's Jon's plane:
http://ousterhout.net/gallery/VH-NOJ.jpg

Here's Jon:
http://ousterhout.net/gallery/jon_johanson.jpg

An enormous fuel tank fills the back set area:
http://ousterhout.net/gallery/fuel-tank.jpg

His canopy cracked in the arctic cold as he flew over the North Pole.
Here's his repair:
http://ousterhout.net/gallery/aussie_canopy_repair.jpg

Some of the EAA Chapter 292 folk looking at the plane and talking with Jon:
http://ousterhout.net/gallery/crowd.jpg

Jon looks at the Nieuport constructions:
http://ousterhout.net/gallery/jon_and_ernie.jpg

- J.O.-