Tim Howes, who took his first flight at age 13 years old, has smashed the Australian record for the most number of take offs and landings in a day. He achieved 122 – exceeding the previous record of 102.

The record was achieved on Saturday, 4 May at a private air strip near Lismore using an open cockpit ultra-light aircraft called a Drifter.

"The day was destined for success from 6:16am, the first take-off time. The conditions were perfect. ‘Lil Popsy’, the aircraft, hummed away all day with no issues, the dogs were angels, and the Friends of the Hound support staff were amazing. We couldn’t have asked for more!" said Tim.

Tim dedicated circuit number 103 (the record breaking circuit) to Wayne Fisher who passed away while completing a test flight at Lismore Airport on 24 March 2013. Wayne, “Mr Drifter”, was an extraordinary man and aviator. Wayne was also instrumental in preparing Tim for the record attempt.

By breaking this record, Tim also hopes to raise awareness of the plight of Greyhounds and how great they are as pets. As a proud owner of a Greyhound adopted from ‘Friends of the Hound’ six years ago, raising awareness about these dogs is close to Tim’s heart.

Friends of the Hound Inc. is a non-profit, volunteer based group whose aim is to promote the breed’s suitability as family pets and companions and raise awareness and educate the public about Greyhound welfare. Money raised from the event will help Friends of the Hound to continue its work to save the lives of Greyhounds.

“It is a record that I have wanted to crack for some time now. I also wanted some way of letting people know about Greyhounds as pets. So this was a perfect opportunity to do both”, explained Tim.

“Greyhounds are gentle, friendly and really affectionate. They are quiet, great with kids and other animals, and surprisingly lazy,” Tim said.

Lisa White, President of Friends of the Hound said, “There are still misconceptions about the breed and we are extremely grateful for Tim’s help in promoting Greyhounds as pets and changing the perception of them as ‘just a racing dog’.”

Tim hopes his achievement will help raise funds for Friends of the Hound. For more information or to donate, go to fly.friendsofthehound.org.au.

Contacts

0416 194 864 – Lisa White, President, Friends of the Hound Inc.

0401 099 163 – Tim Howes, record breaking pilot

enquiries@friendsofthehound.org.au
fly.friendsofthehound.org.au
facebook.com/friendsofthehound
twitter.com/fothrescue

About Friends of the Hound Inc.

·         Non-profit, volunteer based group.

·         Rescue, rehome, and promote greyhounds as pets.

·         Rehomes over 100 greyhounds a year.

·         Aim to raise awareness and educate the public about greyhound welfare and the breed’s suitability as family pets and companions.

·         More than 40 volunteers across NSW and QLD.