Andy Hopper, Professor of Computing Technology at Cambridge University, flew his single engine six seater Cessna Centurion 210 aircraft from his farm strip in Cambridge, UK, together with his bicycle, to Lough Conn Airfield at Cloghans on Saturday September 5 and spent the weekend cycling along the Wild Atlantic Way.
According to Ballina man Michael McCarrick, who is involved in Lough Conn Airfield: "Andy wanted to experience first hand the Wild Atlantic Way and he visited several towns around the local area during his stay. Andy cycled round Enniscrone, Ballina, Castlebar and Westport over the weekend and based himself at a local B&B. Andy was most impressed with the local area and hopes to visit again soon and do some fishing on his next trip."
Professor Andy Hopper is a very significant figure in the computing world and has founded many hugely significant technological companies which have been at the heart of the development of modern computing and networking. His achievements are almost too numerous to mention, including being awarded the Mountbatten Medal in 2004 and a CBE in 2007, and for his services to the computing industry. He co-founded RealVNC which is used on many different computer platforms across the world and has hundreds of millions of users.
Michael also added: "Andy is also a very accomplished globetrotter and joins only a handful of people who have flown a single engine aircraft solo around the world, a feat he accomplished in 2009. The aircraft which Andy flew to Lough Conn Airfield is the very aircraft which he used on his global expedition. Andy didn't just go around the world by the shortest route, as many circumnavigators do, but instead thoroughly explored several continents along the way including visiting the world's most northerly permanent airport, Nunavut, high in the Canadian Arctic, to Punto Arenas, the most southerly tip of South America and launching point for many Antarctic expeditions."
