Identical LSA's On A Flight Around The World

On the one-hundredth anniversary of the first flight of an airplane in Switzerland, a pair of European pilots departed an airport in Sion, Switzerland intending to follow a carefully-designed route around the planet. The two are flying virtually identical Flight Design CTLS aircraft as part of a team for the circumnavigation attempt.

On April 30th, "Two Swiss airline pilots left their home country, each flying in a modified CTLS aircraft," announced Tom Peghiny, president of Flight Design USA. Yannick Bovier, 37, and Francisco Agullo, 41, departed Sion, Switzerland flying the first leg of the around-the-world tour that will take them  27,500 miles through 18 countries and across five continents and two oceans. The two pilots have named their aircraft 'Céline' (registered as HB-WYA) and 'Dreamcatcher' (HB-WYB). Each carries 120 gallons of fuel. A stock CTLS carries 35 gallons of auto gas or 100LL giving it a range of more than 800 nautical miles.

"U.S. stops are planned for Miami, FL, Dallas, TX, Las Vegas, NV, and Monterey, CA," reported John Gilmore, National Sales Manager for Flight Design USA. "During their week in the USA, currently planned for May 17-21, 2010, Flight Design USA is arranging for Bovier and Agullo to meet American CT owners plus interested media."

File Photo

"We believe this immense undertaking shows very well how effective the CTLS can be at flying long distances," Gilmore continued. "Most Americans may not fly around the world but they regularly see the USA in their LSA from Flight Design."

In July 2007, a single CT was flown around the globe west to east by two Indian military pilots to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the Indian Air Force.

FMI: www.azimut270.ch/en/2010.html, www.azimut270.ch/en/position.html, www.facebook.com/pages/Flight-Design-USA/123077997704293/