A sneak peek into Trans Africa Coast to Coast our biggest cycling challenge yet
Are you looking to add something incredible to your Bucket List? Hot on the heels of our exceptionally popular Trans Andean Coast to...
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BECOME A
TEST PILOT
WANT TO HELP US CREATE THE NEXT GENERATION OF BUCKET LIST CHALLENGES AND GO WHERE NO-ONE HAS GONE BEFORE?
We’ve been busy combing the planet for the next wave of seriously out-there Adventures and now we’re looking for a few hardy souls to come with us and be “test-pilots” on these amazing new trips.
You’ll need a sense of adventure (and a sense of humour!) and of course you’ll understand that these trips aren’t the “finished article” yet, so an open-minded trailblazing spirit will help too! We’ll publish a kit list and there will be a financial contribution; plus you’ll need the time off, of course. These trips will take between 2-28 days depending on where in the World we are headed. The outcome? Authentic World-first Adventures. With you as part of the crew.
THOSE INTREPID ADVENTURERS WHO WANT TO BECOME A RAT RACE TEST PILOT WILL HELP US BLAZE THE TRAIL ON BRAND NEW, NEVER-BEEN-DONE JOURNEYS BEFORE THE CROWD FOLLOWS
HOW IS TEST PILOT DIFFERENT TO THE ACTUAL EVENT?
Test Pilot is just that – a test. We have a route planned and we go as a team to test that route, sometimes make changes and look at plan B options if we need to. It’s a proper adventure – you are part of a small team of people responsible for planning an adventure that could one day become one of our flagship events like Race to the Wreck or Mongol 100. This is your chance to become a real-life explorer, trailblazing routes other people may well go on to do in the future.
IS TEST PILOT FREE?
No. Everything we do costs money and whilst the trips are usually significantly less than the public events, they’re not free. We charge the minimum amount possible to cover our on the ground costs, guides and transportation and there may be some extra charges such as dinners and local beverages etc.
HOW MUCH DOES IT COST?
It depends on the trip. When it comes to payments we ask for a deposit and then you can pay the balance in interest free instalments monthly or in 3 equal payments. All balances must be settled 3 months before the departure date. Rat Race Event credit cannot be used to pay for Test Pilot trips as per the Transfer policy.
HOW FIT DO I HAVE TO BE?
It all depends on the trip! If you are in any doubt of your fitness then feel free to drop us an email and we’ll be happy to have a chat.
WHAT SORT OF PEOPLE DO YOU TAKE?
We take people from all walks of life on these trips. As a Test Pilot trip it’s good for us to take a broad range of people because that’s what we will get on an event. The key to being a Test Pilot is to be a team player – to be patient and show empathy and kindness to your fellow man – you will be spending a lot of time with each other in some cases. This is not a competitive endeavour and is not suitable for people that are naturally competitive. It’s not a race and we aim to complete not compete.
DO I NEED INSURANCE?
Yes. You need insurance that covers evacuation just in case. We recommend Dogtag although other insurers are available.
IS IT A RACE? WILL I GET A MEDAL?
No, it’s not a race. We work as a team on these trips – things change all the time, so you need to be flexible and be able to work as part of a team. There are no medals, but who needs medals when you know that you’re one of the first people in the world to take on many of these epic challenges?
WHAT KIT DO I NEED?
Again that varies from trip to trip, but we do provide you with a kit list way in advance of the trip. We can also advise on places to hire kit or buy second hand.
CAN I BRING MY PARTNER?
Sadly not – we cannot accommodate spectators due to the nature of the trips.
WILL I GET A REFUND IF THE TRIP IS CANCELLED?
We very rarely cancel a trip – on occasions when we don’t have another option we may move it to another date and we will transfer you onto that date as long as you can do it. If you can’t make it, we can transfer all your credit onto any other test pilot or bucket list event. We don’t not offer refunds on trips.
HOW LONG ARE THE TRIPS?
Some of them are 2 days, some 14 and some of them are up to 28 days – it all depends where in the world we are going.
HOW MANY PEOPLE GO?
We usually take between 4 and 10 people on these trips, dependant on the location and nature of the event. We try and keep the groups super small so that everyone gets to know each other. It also helps if we need to change routing or distances to have a smaller team. It’s a totally different experience to being on event. It’s very, very special.
IS TEST PILOT SAFE?
We have a number of trusted partners on the ground who we work closely with on all events. These are experienced local experts that know the area, the emergency procedures and the risks. We carry out full risk assessments before we leave and when we get to the location, and we always travel with a medic.
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