From London to Timbuktu on a flying car

Neil Laughton has quite a reputation as a thrill seeker. He has scaled the highest mountains on each continent and trekked up to the North Pole. But even he would concede that his latest plan borders on the eccentric.

He plans to depart from London and travel down through Europe to Africa by road and air in one souped up sand buggy. With the help of a parachute and giant motor fan, he plans to take flight over the Pyrenees, the Strait of Gibraltar, portions of the Sahara and wherever he is not met by road. The planned expidition will last 42 days and traverse 4,000 miles. Flying across the English Channel has been ruled out for security reasons.

His final destination is the town of Timbuktu in Western Africa, an iconic and quirky destination.

The Skycar being put to the test is the brainchild of a 29 year old inventor Gilo Cordozo. $380,000 have been invested to develop the vehicle. If it can prove its mettle by withstanding the rigors of weather, terrain and the environment, it will be commercialized costing over $100,000. But perhaps the biggest concern is hostility from local tribes that are expected to be encountered over many portions of Africa