The Hindu : Front Page : Across Bering Sea in microlight

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Saturday, Jul 07, 2007
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Across Bering Sea in microlight

— Photo: R.V. Moorthy

Around the World: Wing Commanders Rahul Monga and Anil Kumar and their microlight in this file picture.

New Delhi: Air Force Wing Commander Rahul Monga on Friday became the first Indian to fly across the Bering Sea, which links Russia with North America, in a microlight. The 38-year-old serviceman, who landed at Nome in Alaska, United States, early on Friday, is on a round the world expedition along with co-pilot Wing Cdr. Anil Kumar to commemorate the IAF’s platinum jubilee.

The expedition, flagged off from the Hindan airbase near Delhi on June 1, is aimed at creating a new world record in circumnavigating the globe in the shortest possible time of 64 days. The current record stands at 99 days.

Because of extremely poor weather over China and in Russia, the expedition has already lost 12 days. But the duo is hopeful of recovering some lost days in the remaining sections and completing the expedition, if not in 64 days, well in time to set a new world record. In North America, the expedition will be headed for Anchorage on Saturday and then it will go to Canada, Greenland, Iceland, Denmark, the U.K., Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Greece, Turkey, Iran and Oman before returning to India. — PTI

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