This is an hour-long National Geographic TV episode from about 25 years ago, about a young guy flying & working his way across Africa in his Cessna 180 as part of a land-on-every-continent around the world trip.
Don't know if he completed the whole trip, but this video is pretty interesting.
FWIW I looked up the tail number & the airplane still has the same owner (since 1990).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xCOtRDfUw1g

Very interesting dude, reading his website was one of the things which got me into aviation

http://www.claytor.com

Wow, that guy is living life. Great read.

I remember when it was in the 180/185 newsletter back before I looked at computers. Always wondered if he made it. Just looked and the plane is still registered so he must have made it.

Great video, thanks for posting.

And to add a little levity: he made all those landings, without bushwheels! And aileron rolls...and his wings didn't fall off!!

fiftynineSC wrote:.. to add a little levity: he made all those landings, without bushwheels! ....

Coudn't tell if was running 850's or maybe 26" GY's, but his tailwheel looked pretty big.
Maybe a 400x4 GarAero or 500x5 XP Mods? Dunno if either were being produced yet back then.

hotrod180 wrote:

fiftynineSC wrote:.. to add a little levity: he made all those landings, without bushwheels! ....

Coudn't tell if was running 850's or maybe 26" GY's, but his tailwheel looked pretty big.
Maybe a 400x4 GarAero or 500x5 XP Mods? Dunno if either were being produced yet back then.

TW looked like an XP 14" to me. I think the mains were 8.50's but that's me using my calibrated eye-ball.

I don't know much about what Tom is doing now, but about 8 years ago, my son found the National Geographic film on him.

He is a flying bug himself, so he found the website and wrote Tom a letter. Tom wrote him a postcard back with a real nice note. The note came from Indonesia. So he was still flying then.

If you haven't seen the video, it is worth getting and watching.

L

Tom's website is pretty crappy but it is updated regularly. He is presently part of flying a DC3 across the Himalayas to China recreating the resupply flights of World War 2. Very interesting guy, I'd like to buy him a drink sometime.