Around the world in 80 days? Try 50 hours. A private jet has made an early morning pit-stop in Christchurch in its quest to set a world record for the fastest round-the-world flight over both the North and South Poles.
Reaching speeds of more than 800kph, the team are on target to break the 30-year-old world record.
Today's stop was was like a Formula One pit-stop where every second counts. The Bombardier Global Express jet touched down at Christchurch Airport at 12.30am to refuel.
"So far so great," says pilot Aziz Ojjeh. "We're really happy we're halfway round, and things are going very, very well."
The tag aviation team of eight pilots and one engineer say they are on target to break the old record of 54 hours, seven minutes and 12 seconds, set by a Boeing 747.
And after travelling at up to 833kph, the team landed in Christchurch 20 minutes ahead of world record time.
Then, after a 31-minute refuel and restock of food supplies, and according to ground crewman Tony McFarlin, "a lot of omelettes, a lot of egg stuff, a lot of protein stuff, a lot of Red Bull apparently", they were off again.
"Next is through the South Pole and Punta Arenas in Chile," says observer Malek Adjaj.
Confident they can shave four hours off the world record, the team hope to complete the trip in 50 hours.
"It'll be a long time before the next guy can break it 'cause there isn't an airplane that can go that fast," jokes pilot Mike Mueller.
The jet expects to touch down in London 4.30am New Zealand time.
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