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Branson
still a jet fighter speed record virgin
from The
Cape Argus, June24, 2006
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"Well firstly this was one of the most incredible
things I've ever done, to go straight up and take the controls at
1000 miles an hour, to actually be flying faster than the speed
of sound, upside down looking at Table Mountain below, with some
rush
Sir Richard Branson (Interviewed by Neil Owens about his English
Electric Lightning flight at Thundercity 24.06.06) |
British tycoon and philanthropist Sir Richard Branson missed setting
a new speed record in a fighter jet by two seconds at Cape Town's Thunder
City. Branson and pilot Dave Stock attempted to take an Electric Lightning
jet from standing position on the runway to an altitude of 29 000 feet
in a matter of seconds. The attempt was to coincide with the launce
of his new cell phone service company, Virgin Mobile, in South Africa
yesterday. Brandon and Stock attempted to beat the record Stock set
with British businessman John Caudwell at Ysterplaat Air show last year
when the lightning reached the 6 km-high target in 102 seconds after
releasing its brakes. The record attempt was a bid to draw attention
to the value of airtime.
Branson said South Africans had been "ripped off" by high phone service
and call costs for too long. It was important, he said, that cellphone
users paid only for the second used, and not be charged for a full 60
seconds when a call ran five seconds into the next minute.
Branson entered the hangar flanked by two models dressed as angels in
skimpy tops, hot pants and flowing wings.
Before he boarded the jet, a smiling Branson asked if any one would
like to take his place, and laughed when his question was met with silence.
On his return he was pumped with adrenalin saying." This was the greatest
rush of my life.. I've never flown so fast and been handed the controls
at 1 000 miles an hour.
"It was amazing to fly supersonic fast over the Cape and break the sound
barrier."
Branson said that even though he missed the record by two seconds he
would attempt to do it again.
The upside of his failure, he said, was that Caudwell would now have
to give a lot of money to charity because of a bet between the men.
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