Would Be First Around-The-World Flight Completed By Indian Women In A Motorglider

Two Indian female pilots are going to accomplish a legendary flight around the world in a Pipistrel Sinus aircraft. The WE! Expedition is the world’s first circumnavigation by an Indian woman pilot in a motorglider. It seeks to shatter global, cultural and gender barriers and send a clear message to the world, that for a woman willing to rise, the sky's the limit.

Capt. Audrey Deepika Maben, India’s first woman motorglider pilot and India’s first woman microlight flight instructor, and her 19-year old daughter Amy Mehtawill will embark on the flight around the world on April 5. The mission will start in New Delhi and will take 90 days with 54 planned landings over 21 countries.

The mission is called WE! ("Women Empower") and is not just about flying around the world - first and foremost it is dedicated to raising awareness about the situation and equality of women in society - the two ladies will be the first female pilots to circumnavigate the world in an ultralight plane. The WE! foundation will also strive to collect resources for training of young female pilots.

The Sinus 912 was nicknamed Mahi by the two ladies (meaning "Great Planet Earth" in Sanskrit) and was chosen for this legendary flight because of its green, nature-friendly operation and great flight characteristics.

Mahi was presented at Wings India on March 8, and she was an quite the attraction. Shri Jayant Sinha, Minister of State for Civil Aviation, came especially to see her. He tweeted his good wishes to the expedition.

This will be the second circumnavigation attempt for a Sinus aircraft. The first was in 2004 by pilot Matevz Lenarcic, who has linked to the WE! expedition on his website Green Light World Flight.

(Images provided with Pipistrel news release)

FMI: theweexpedition.wordpress.com/author/theweexpedition