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THE
ROYAL GEOGRAPHICAL SOCIETY - HONG KONG
presents
“Round the World by Helicopter”
by
Jennifer
Murray
on
Wednesday, 29 October
2008
2/F
Olympic House, So Kong Po, Causeway Bay
Drinks
Reception 6.30 pm; Lecture 7.30 pm
We are delighted to welcome well-known Hong Kong resident Jennifer Murray to lecture on Round the World by Helicopter. In December 2006, two helicopter pilots, Jennifer Murray and Colin Bodill, undertook a journey no other person had made before. With whiteout conditions almost claiming their lives in their previous attempt, they set a new world record by flying around the world via the South and North Poles by helicopter. In this lecture, Jennifer tells the extraordinary story of conquering the elements, richly illustrated by superb slides.
Jennifer first entered the records books in 1997 as the first woman to circumnavigate the globe in a helicopter, garnering over US$100,000 for charity. In 2000, she completed this journey solo. In 2001, Jennifer and Mr Bodill took part in the London to Sydney Air Race, setting a new world speed record for helicopters. In 2004 she and Mr Bodill undertook their first polar flight attempt, including a famous South Pole meeting with her husband Simon Murray, who had just completed his own record-breaking trek to the South Pole.
On 5 December 2006, Jennifer and Mr Bodill took off in their cherry red Bell 407 helicopter from Fort Worth Alliance Airport, Texas, USA. From the searing heat of the Atacama desert through the turbulent high Andes, over the hostile southern oceans and finally to the freezing polar regions, they would travel for 171 days, visiting 26 countries and covering over 32 thousand nautical miles. Their route took them south over Barbados to Peru, down the coast of South America across the Southern Ocean to the South Pole, returning via Amazonia, the eastern USA to the North Pole, then to Alaska, Vancouver and a return to Texas.
Jennifer and Mr Bodill’s effort supported SOS Children’s Villages, for abandoned children in more than 430 custom-built villages in over 125 countries. In addition, the team continues to work together with The Royal Geographical Society to run Passport to the Poles. This online global environmental programme offers children around the world the chance to unite together to learn about each others unique environments, the threats to the planet and the many ways which they can help to protect it.
Jennifer Murray is US born and UK educated. She has resided in Hong Kong with her husband Simon since 1970. A keen helicopter enthusiast, she entered the records books in 1997 as the first woman to circumnavigate the globe in a helicopter, and has been breaking records ever since. She recently published Polar First, an inspiring journey of adventure, courage and sheer determination. Always an adventurer, Jennifer recently crossed 200 km of Arctic terrain in Norway with a team of husky dogs.
Members and their guests are most welcome to attend this lecture, which is HK$100 for Members and HK$150 for guests and others.
Royal Geographical Society (IBG) - Hong Kong
GPO Box 6681, Hong Kong
Tel: (852) 2583 9700
Fax: (852) 2140 6000
Email: director@rgshk.org.hk
Website: www.rgshk.org.hk
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