From London to Timbuktu in a Flying Car

by Kraig Becker on

British adventurer Neil Laughton will begin a unique odyssey tomorrow. The former special forces officer will depart from London on his way to Timbuktu, located in the African country of Mali, and while a journey like this one is interesting in and of itself, it is Laughton’s mode of transportation that really sets it apart.

Laughton will be traveling in a specially designed dune buggy dubbed the Skycar, which is a cross between an off-road vehicle and a paraglider. Utalizing a giant parachute and a large fan mounted on the back of the car, the driver is able to take flight, transitioning from the ground to the air in just three minutes. While in flight mode, it typically cruises between 2000 and 3000 feet, but can reach altitudes as high as 15,000 feet. All the while running on biofuel, making this an environmentally friendly endevour.The 4000 mile expedition is expected to take roughly 42 days, traveling from London to France, Spain, Morrocco, Mauritania and of course Mali. The return trip will also pass through Senegal as well. Much of that distance will be covered on the ground, where the Skycar can reach speeds of up to 108 mph, but Laughton will pilot his flying car over the Pyrenees, followed by the Strait of Gibralter, and the Atlas Mountains in Morocco, although Laughton hasn’t ruled out taking to the sky at other times as well.

The team behind the Skycar sees this adventure as a shakedown cruise to test out their little toy. If all goes well, they intend to sell the vehicle to the general public, hoping to get as much as $75,000 for a car that can literally take you just about anywhere.

You can track the expedition’s progress on the official website.

[via the BBC (video included with story)]

Tropical Sunsets

by Iva Skoch on

As the days keep getting shorter and colder here in Prague, I find myself thinking more and more about travel to the tropics. And, of course, one of the best reasons to visit the tropics is to watch the sunset, lying in a hammock next to a loved one, with drink in hand. Now, sunsets in Prague are nothing to sneeze at, with the rosy light settling on the beautiful buildings, but it’s hard to beat the tropics. My worldwide favorite sunsets? The island of Mauritius, off the coast of Madagascar.

As we at Gadling have reported, there are a million great attributes of this country: democratic, safe, remote, with a good economy, beautiful, friendly people, unbelievable food, perfect weather, mountains, beaches–should I go on? While most fly in through South Africa, we endured the 11.5 hour flight direct from Paris on Air France. But what treats await! I have never seen sunsets so consistently magnificent anywhere in the world.

The island country is an interesting mix of Africans and Indians and their cultures, with history as both a French and, later, a British colony. You can see the French architectural influence, and most people speak a kind of Creole French in everyday conversation. The official language and legal customs, however, are English. While not on most people’s radar screen, everyone has heard about the island, at least through the existence of the dodo bird, a former inhabitant. Mark Twain was a big fan, saying “heaven was copied after Mauritius.”

Dear readers: where are your favorite sunsets?