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Indian ace woman pilot, daughter to glide around world
Bengaluru, Dec 1 (IANS) Mysuru-based flying instructor and ace pilot Captain Audrey Deepika Maben along with her 19-year-old daughter will soon be gliding around the planet covering 21 countries in a span of 80 days.
In a brand new Pipistrel Sinus 912, a single-engine two-seater light motor glider developed by Slovenian light aircraft manufacturer Pipistrel, Captain Maben and daughter Amy Mehta would be covering around 50,000km around the globe, in the expedition that will take off in February 2018.
“This expedition will give wings to many more girls who dream of flying everyday as my daughter and I will be speaking to women and girls from across the countries about flying. We want many more women to take up flying,” Maben said.
Maben, 42, took to the skies at the age of 15 as a National Cadet Corps (NCC) member in Bengaluru’s Baldwin Girls’ High School.
She later enrolled in the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur gliding centre and obtained her Glider Pilot License and then a Microlight Pilot License (permit required to fly one-or-two-seater aircraft weighing less than 450kg) — all before she turned 22.
Beginning their circumnavigation around the earth in February from New Delhi, the duo will fly eastwards towards Japan, Russia, North America, Greenland, Europe, Middle East and then back to India, stopping in about 21 countries along the way.
The light aircraft can reach a maximum altitude of up to 7,500 feet above sea level. It has a fuel capacity of 60 litres, which makes it necessary to make multiple stops for refuelling for a major exercise like this one.
“The motor glider requires good winds to fly. And since I don’t have the required license for night flying, we will be flying only during the day time for about five to six hours each day, and then we’d land in one of the countries along our route map to refuel and rest,” Maben stated.
Throughout the trip, Mehta, a photography student, would be digitally documenting the views from the skies and helping Maben with navigation.
“I will also be spreading the word about our journey on social media that will help us reach out to women and men across the world,” said Mehta.
The expedition will be a “milestone” to show that women can equally reach great heights, said Moses Chalai, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Women and Child Development, which is supporting the mission.
Maben is currently undergoing flight training in Mysuru Airport as well as taking physical training to withstand the long flying hours.
There have been similar attempts earlier to circumnavigate the earth. An English pilot Colin Bodill had done the first solo expedition in a microlight aircraft around the planet in 99 days in 2000.
Later, a team from the Indian Air Force, Rahul Monga and Anil Kumar, had accomplished circumnavigation in a microlight in 79 days in 2007. They had covered 40,529km around the world.
–IANS
bha/rn
Lucknow: Vishal Singh, a renowned social worker from Lucknow, also known as Foodman, has once again made India proud. He was honored by the Happy Hands Gloves Cooperative Limited Company in Korathai, Thailand, for his work with the Hunger Free World Mission.
The Hunger Free World Mission’s meeting was held in Korathai, Thailand, under Vishal Singh’s leadership. Representatives from several countries, including Mr. Raja Dwivedi (Managing Director of Happy Hands Gloves Limited), Thailand Coordinator Mr. Raja Mishra, and member Mr. Varun Singh, attended the event.
Under Vishal Singh’s leadership, the attendees took a pledge to work together toward creating a hunger-free world.
Speaking on the occasion, Vishal Singh explained that the main goal of the Hunger Free World Mission is social participation. He said the mission is not just about feeding people but also about meeting other basic needs of those who are struggling. The mission focuses on helping families of terminally ill patients in hospitals by providing food and shelter. It also works to fulfill essential needs like education, jobs, and care for the elderly.
For the last 16 years, the Vijay Sri Foundation has been providing free services, benefiting thousands of people. Vishal Singh highlighted that the mission aims to gain global recognition like other organizations such as WHO, WWF, and Red Cross, which work for social causes.
During this meeting, Vishal Singh was appointed as the Chairman of the Hunger Free World Mission by representatives from various countries. They also discussed holding regular meetings in different countries to push the mission forward.
Business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has also supported this humanitarian mission, vowing to promote the idea of “Seva Parmo Dharma” (Service is the highest duty) worldwide. Vishal Singh praised him, stating that people like Dr .Abhishek Verma inspire others to work for the betterment of society.
Recently, Romania’s Ambassador, Mr . Daniela Sezonov Ţane, invited Vishal Singh to the Romanian Embassy in Delhi, where they discussed the mission in detail. Impressed by his humanitarian work, she honored Vishal Singh and invited him to Romania to take the mission forward .
Food man Vishal Singh has been serving the people of India for the past 16 years. Through the Vijay Sri Foundation, he provides free meals to cancer patients & their families ,shelter, and education for women & children along with running free old-age homes in Lucknow.
In addition to his humanitarian work, Vishal Singh also addresses issues like crime and corruption through his role as Chairman of Seva Path Media and Managing Director of Vijay Sri Foundation.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Vishal Singh and his team worked tirelessly to provide food and help to the needy, including starving children, elderly citizens, and pregnant women. Despite contracting the virus himself, he continued to assist others after his recovery. He even created a life-saving oxygen regulator using household items, which was praised by doctors both in India and abroad.
In his address at the meeting, Vishal Singh spoke about his mission to create a hunger-free world. He pointed out that India’s large population, along with issues like unemployment and poverty, has caused the country to fall on the Hunger Index. He urged people to contribute just one handful of grains daily to help create a hunger-free world.
He concluded by saying that through social participation, we can empower the people around us, meet their basic needs, and work together to build a stronger, more prosperous, and developed society.
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