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Radio interview of Wing Commander Rahul Monga

Introduction

Circumnavigating the globe in a microlight is the ultimate flying adventure. The planning and engineering required for the airplane is challenging and interesting. Studying the weather systems enroute and dealing with worldwide bureaucracies and regulations are quite daunting. No other single aviation event is this rich in content and equally multi-faceted. The flight will prove to be mentally and physically grueling, flying on average six hours a day in climatic extremes, placing high demands on the pilots and their aircraft.

Till date, only two microlights have accomplished this feat. The first was in 1998 by a British pilot, Brian Milton (along with K. Reynolds and P Petrov part of the way), taking 121 days. The second was by another British pilot, who took 99 days in 2000. This is the current record. The IAF plans to beat this record.

Route   

The route has been designed keeping in mind the control requirements of the Federation Aeronautiqe Internationale, (FAI) which is the governing body of aerosports. The FAI stipulates some restrictions as given below:

CIRCUMNAVIGATION AS PER FAI

• It must start and finish at the same aerodrome, crossing all meridians.
• The length of the route shall not be less that 36 787.559 km (equal in length to the tropic of cancer).
• All control points must be at a latitude of less than 66° 33’ (outside the north and south frigid zones).
• If due to unforeseen circumstances the final landing cannot be made at the aerodrome of departure, the aircraft may fly to an alternate aerodrome lying beyond the original.
• Any time spent on the ground between start and finish shall be counted as flying time.
• Wings and fuselage may not be changed.
• Crew members may not be changed during the attempt. However, in the case of an emergency a crew member, other than the pilot-in-command, may leave but must not be replaced. Passengers may be changed during the attempt.

Airfields

India
Delhi, Allahabad, Baghdogra, Guwahati

Myanmar
Mandalay, Yangon

Thailand
Bangkok

Vietnam
Da Nang

China
Haikou, Guangzhou, Xiamen, Fuzhou, Hongqiao, Qingdao, Dalian, Changchun, Jiamusi

Russia
Khabarovsk, Nikolaevsk na Amure, Ajan, Okhotsk, Magadan, Chayabuhka, Markovo, Anadyr, Buhta Provedenia

USA (1st Leg)
Nome, Mc Grath, Anchorage, Yakutat, Juneau

Canada (1st leg)
Prince Rupert, Comox

USA (2nd leg)
Bellingham, Snohomish, Salem, Arcata-Eureka, Tracy, Santa Paula, Lake Havasu City, Page, Colorado Springs, Liberal, Pauls Valley, Marshall, New Orleans, Marianna, Jacksonville, Camden, Roanoke

Canada (2nd leg)
Toronto, Matagami, Le Grand Riviere, Inukjuak, Kangiqsujuak, Iqaluit

Greenland
Nuuk, Kulusuk

Iceland
Reykjavik

Faeroes (Island)
Vagar

UK
Aberdeen, Norwich

Germany
Munster Osnabruck, Eggersdorf, Friedrichshafen

Switzerland
Samedan

Italy
Rome

Greece
Kerkyra, Kavala

Turkey
Istanbul, Samsun, Trabzon

Iran
Tabriz, Kermanshah, Esfahan, Shiraz, Bandar Abbass

UAE
Muscat

India
Jamnagar, Udaipur, Delhi

Total Flight Plan Distance: 41303 km/ 22302 nm Total Great circle Distance: 39549 km/21355 nm Total flying time: 236 hours Total fuel: 3900 liters

Crew  

Wing Commander Rahul Monga  
Wing Commander Anil Kumar