UAE | General
Flight of peace and friendship
Parked in a corner of the Food Court, close to the Pakistan pavilion in the Global Village, is a microlight aircraft.
- By Jyoti Kalsi, Special to Gulf News
- Published: 00:00 February 14, 2004
 "If our flight can bring light to a blind eye, provide transfusion to a thalassaemic child or refuge to an abandoned one, our efforts will have been worthwhile," says pilot Zaka Ullah Bhangoo. ©Gulf News |
Parked in a corner of the Food Court, close to the Pakistan pavilion in the Global Village, is a microlight aircraft. The plane is similar to the one that will be flown later this year by two pilots from Pakistan as they attempt to break the round-the-world record for a micro-light aircraft.
Pilots Zaka Ullah Bhangoo and Ajab Khan have dubbed this project Flight For Life, because they aim to spread a message of peace and friendship between all countries and hope to raise funds for children's charities in the countries they visit during their trip.
Bhangoo is in Dubai to raise awareness about the project and is collaborating with the Rashid Paediatric Therapy Centre here. Several Dubai-based companies and philanthropists have assisted in putting this event together. Children from the Rashid Centre have been invited to come to the Global Village and see the plane. Besides, visitors to the Global Village are invited to view the plane up close and have their pictures taken with the aircraft. The money raised through the sale of photographs and other souvenirs will be donated to the Rashid Paediatric Therapy Centre.
"By being here at the Global Village and inviting children from the Centre, we want to create awareness about the excellent work being done by the centre," said Faisal Khilji, general manager, Risal Services, a company promoting the event in Dubai. "Through this collaboration we also want to give the message that these children have faced immense challenges in their life and are as brave as the two pilots."
Bhangoo is a retired brigadier from the Pakistan Army. An aviator with over 6,000 hours of flying experience, he was among the elite pilots selected to fly VVIP helicopters in Pakistan. Ajab Khan is a colonel in the Pakistan Army. Their passion for flying and mutual hobby of flying ultra-light aircraft brought them together.
Together they have set a number of micro-light records for flights within Pakistan and have been planning this ultimate challenge for several years. "The official requirement for an around-the-world record is that one should fly a minimum of 24,000 miles and cross all the meridians. The current record in a micro light is 99 days. We aim to circumnavigate the globe in 80 days," said Bhangoo.
The aircraft they will fly is called Spirit of Pakistan. Bhangoo sold his ancestral property to buy the two-seater shadow star streak, weighing just 220 kg, and pursue his dream. Their route will take them 26,000 miles starting from Islamabad and back with stops in India, Myanmar, Bangladesh, Laos, Vietnam, China, Russia, Alaska and the west coast of USA, Canada, England, France, Spain, Morocco, Libya, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Muscat and the UAE.
"We need to make several stops because this tiny aircraft flies at a maximum speed of 70mph and can cover only distances up to 400 miles at a time. Our longest leg will be the 455 miles across the sea from Greenland to Iceland. We will have to do this with only one pilot and use the co-pilot's space to carry extra fuel," explained Bhangoo.
They hope to arrange fund-raising events for local children's charities in every city along the way. "The response has been very encouraging from individuals and organisations in the US and Canada. We are confident that it will be the same in the UAE, which will be part of the last leg of our journey," said Bhangoo. "This project is not for profit. We are looking for adventure and a challenge, but we want to use our passion for flying to convey a message of peace and friendship between nations; but our most important aim is to help children all over the world.
"We declined sponsorship offers from cigarette companies because they would not be compatible with a children's cause," Bhangoo added. "But I am confident that others who share our concerns will help us make this project successful. If our flight can bring light to a blind eye, help special children lead a more rewarding life, provide transfusion to a thalassaemic child or refuge to an abandoned one, our efforts will have been worthwhile."
Bhangoo made light of questions about the dangers involved in their endeavour. "A small plane that flies at altitudes of 2,300 feet does offer limited safety, but our main worry is the weather conditions. As for breakdowns, we will carry spares like spark plugs and fuel filters with us. Ajab is a very good mechanic and will be able to handle most problems himself. The plane operates on a simple four-stroke car engine and any good car mechanic will be able to help us with repairs. The plane is not heated, but we will wear adequate cold weather gear," he said.
Bhangoo anticipates the Russian leg — entirely over Siberia — and the flight along the east coast of Canada to be the most challenging, because of hostile weather conditions and very few inhabitants. "Modern technology has made it easy for us to stay on course and remain in touch with others. My heroes are the early aviators who flew across the world without GPS and satellite communications systems," he said.
- For more information or donation and sponsorship enquiries e-mail jhaq@hotmail.com.
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