IT'S SECOND time lucky for Brits Jennifer Murray and Colin Bodill in their attempt to fly a helicopter - a cherry red Bell 407 - to fly to both the South and North Poles.

They successfully landed at the North Pole on 20 April, after previously flying to the South Pole in January, and have now made it back to the starting point, Fort Worth, Texas.
Three years ago the pair crashed en route to the South Pole and were badly injured - but both were determined to complete the flight.

But reaching the North Pole tried their patience after weather boxed them in.
Jennifer Murray said, "After nine long days of waiting at Eureka we finally got what looked like a good window for the onward push to the Pole. I called Victor Boyarski at Borneo, the Russian station 60 miles from the Pole. He said 'Jennifer the weather is good, weather at the Pole is good, here is good!'
"We took off at 9.15am local for our fuel cache at Ward Hunt Island, 320 miles to the north under clear blue skies. Conditions were marvellous and spirits high. It even looked as though we would, as planned, be able to route south via the Russian Base and Norway as the whole route southwards from the Pole to Svalbard appeared clear."

Unfortunately, the weather didn't hold up and the return from the North Pole had to be back the way they'd come - through Canada.

The pair have experienced all possible conditions as they have flown down and up Central and South America, then up through North America and Canada and back again. From the the hottest and coldest places on earth, tropical forests, deserts, calm lagoons to the hostile waters and winds of the Roaring Forties.

Jennifer and Colin are no strangers to setting world records. Jennifer has already set the world record for the fastest female solo helicopter flight around the world in 2000 and Colin holds the record for flying around the world in a weight-shift microlight.

Working with the Royal Geographic Society, Polar First has launched 'An Educational Passport to the Poles', an exciting, interactive educational project. This project will see children around the world working with each other to better understand our changing environments.

W: www.polarfirst.com
W: www.passporttothepoles.org

FACT FILE
THE HELICOPTER Bell 407 reg N407PF
Max cruise 140kt
Engine Rolls-Royce 250-C47B
Range 330nm