Circling the globe, IAF aviators seek adventure over records

Bangkok, Jun 5 (UNI) Flying round the world in a plane barely as high as the pilot standing next to it, passing through extreme weather conditions sitting in a non-pressurized cabin, is the stuff real adventure is made of.

That is precisely what Wing Commanders Rahul Monga and Anil Kumar have set out to savour as they flew out of Thailand this morning into Vietnam on their way to China on the final Asian leg of their circumnavigation of the planet.

Travelling an average of 600 km a day in the 300-kg, state-of-the-art German-designed microlight aircraft, the duo are scheduled to return to Hindon Air Force base on August 4 from where they took off on June 1.

According to the Federation Aeronautique Internationale (FAI), the international aerosports regulatory body, they must end at their starting point, having crossed all meridians of longitude and traveling a distance not less than 36,787.559 km, equal to the length of the Tropic of Cancer.

Their northernmost flight path will take them along the Arctic Circle as they cross the continents at their narrowest separating points due to the limited flying range of their aircraft.

'' This is adventure. So we improvise along the way,'' the duo told UNI here.

'' Logistical arrangements slow us down,'' they pointed out.

They will pick up on the way, the arctic clothing for the crossings to Alaska from Russia and then from Canada to Greenland and Iceland and are carrying only essential supplies.

In all, they will have flown over 18 countries, landing in Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam, China, Russia, United States, Canada, Turkey, Iran and Oman.

After experiencing tropical pre-monsoon atmospheric conditions on the route till Thailand, which delayed their arrival to Bangkok by a day, they are expecting much better climate conditions after leaving Southeast Asia.

Their military registered aircraft is taking a route cleared by the governments of the countries they fly over.

Although the CTSW Advance microlight powered by a Rotax 100 HP engine has a ceiling of 14,000 feet, they are flying at an altitude of between 7,000 and 8,000 feet.

Their progress can be tracked in real time on the Indian Air Force's Web site.

UNI