EARTH ROUNDERS
VISIT ASIA
EAA Malaysia
recently hosted TWO Earth Rounder Microlight Trike fliers,
painfully traversing through their six Continent 50 country,
80,000 kilometer Odyssey from Cape Town, South Africa.
They were flying South African manufactured, Aquilla Trikes
powered by Rotax 912 engines and carried a total fuel that could
take them along for TEN hours. Navigation was entirely by GPS.
Ricardo Jose Santos De Agrela (Ricky) 42 (left on photo), and Alan Roy Honeyborne 34, left Capetown on 16th December
2003, a day before the Centennial Year of Flight and made an
average 47 knots True Airspeed through Africa, Yemen, Iran,
Pakistan, India, Bangladesh and Thailand, finally arriving at Kuala
Lumpur via Langkawi on Friday 27th February, to
a grand welcome by EAA Malaysia members.
Installed at
the HYATT Regency Saujana at Subang, Ricky and Alan had one of
their Trikes displayed as a “World Girdling Microlight” in the
…….lobby of the Hotel. A Press Conference was held on Monday 1st March
with the First Secretary of the South African High Commission
present. Ricky beat
up the Hotel during the Press Conference, with the other Trike.
They left for EAA
Malaysia’s Nusa Jaya Microlight Flight Park in Johor on
Wednesday 3rd March where another great welcome was
given. Capt Siva of
EAA Malaysia rode with Ricky on his Trike as
“Russian Navigator” from Subang to Nusa Jaya.
The trip took 3:00 hrs with a 10 knot tailwind.
They left Malaysia for Palembang, Sumatra onto the rest of
Indonesia and their destinations in Australia on 4th
March. They will spend a month in Australia and again pass through
South East Asia in mid April enroute to China and Russia.
Look out for
these two intrepid Adventurers at various South East Asian
Airports, when they pass through.
Further
stories on their adventures can be found at their website www.safreedomflight.com
and our official partner website,
www.wingsoverasia.com
If you meet
them enroute in Asia say Hello and support them in whatever way
you can.
Contributed by Rani, Hon Secretary, EAA Malaysia
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MAS heavy Engineers checking out globe trotting Microlight at Subang Airport |
Ricky's
Trike becomes part of the furniture in MAS Hangar-1 |
Alan accompanying his precious baby to the hotel for display |
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Alan's
Trike goes together in the lobby of the hotel |
General Manager,
Mr.Patrick Hardy and Director of Marketing, Ms.Aaishah Bohari take a close look |
The EAA flag flies high in the lobby of the hotel |
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Media conference at the Hyatt Regency Saujana Hotel |
First Secretary, Mr.Philip Riley of South African High Commision presents EAA Malaysia's Centennial Year of Flight certificates to Alan and Ricky |
Arrival at Nusajaya Flight Park
on 3rd March 2004 |
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Microlight
flyers with Ricky & Alan at Nusajaya Flight Park |
EAA member, Jai with Ricky and Alan |
Preparing for the long flight to Palembang, Indonesia |
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Frogs to
Princes - Captains ready to go to work |
"Desert
Storm" fleet ready to go |
Preparing for a
flight |
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Ready
for take off in the early morning bloom (4th March) |
Mr Moo supervises the
Trikes' take off from Nusajaya Flight Park
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Siva & Rick in close formation with Ricky
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Ricky roars past overhead Nusajaya on his way to Palembang
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