User:Lynndesouza/sandbox

The [http://www.wefly.org.in WE! Women Empower Expedition] is the world's first attempt by an all woman team to circumnavigate the globe in a light sport aircraft. Conceived and executed by Mumbai based social communication firm, Social Access Communications, and adventure based environmental trust, The Navy Blue Foundation, the expedition is being flown in a Slovenian built aircraft, Pipistrel Sinus 912, a single engine motorglider with maximum take off weight of 472.5 kg. The aircraft, called 'Mahi', is the first aircraft registered by Director General Civil Aviation as a Light Sport Aircraft, and bears the call sign VT NBF.

The WE! Expedition is in collaboration with the Ministry of Women and Child Development, and wears the Beti Bachao Beti Padhao logo on its tail. Flight support, including weather forecast, flight planning, ground handling, landing permits and fuel are managed by NEXUS Flight Operations, Mumbai.

The pilot in command is 23 year old Mumbai CPL pilot, also one of India's first LSA pilots, Capt Aarohi Pandit. Along with her friend and co-pilot, Capt Keithair Misquitta, also a young woman pilot from Mumbai, the duo were trained by Pipistrel Serbia and subsequently by Capt Rahul Monga at the Patiala Aviation Club, before setting off on the circumnavigation on July 30, 2018 from Patiala.

During Phase 1 of the expedition, they flew for 15400 kms in 73 hours over 49 days, covering 17 countries in 24 hops. They landed at Pakistan, Iran, Turkey, Serbia, Slovenia, Germany, France and the UK.

From Wick, Scotland, Aarohi Pandit commenced Phase 2 of the circumnavigation solo. On May 13, 2019, she landed at Iqaluit, Canada to become the first woman in the world to cross the Atlantic Ocean solo in an LSA, after landing at Hofn and Reykjavik in Iceland and Kulusuk and Nuuk in Greenland. To prepare for this 3000 km crossing which included oceanic flights in extreme weather over the Atlantic Ocean, she was based at the volcanic island of Vestmannaejyar, Iceland during winter 2018 and spring 2019, under the mentorship of Gudmundur Arnar Alfredsson. The Crossing also included the extremely tough high terrain flight over the Greenland icecap for which she received training in altitude flying in the Alps using an oxygen mask, by Nejc Faganel of Pipistrel.

The WE! Expedition is presently at Canada, and after crossing the International Dateline at the Bering Strait, over the Pacific Ocean, Capt Aarohi Pandit hopes complete the circumnavigation with Mahi, by flying through Russia back to India.