index.php

June 18 2022

Dear friends,

Well, after 2 long years of restrictions, border closures, jabs and boosters, sickness and disappearances of friends and relatives, it seems the pandemic is coming to an end. It is not completely gone and we may have to learn to live with it but things are improving. And in our little corner, it looks we are going to be able to join again in our, twice postponed, Switzerland Meeting. That if some deranged dictator does not start WW3 by nuking his neighbors and the rest of the World.

So, Switzerland it is. Let us get the cobwebs out of the ol'suitcase and let's get ready.

The program is on News Letter No 5. It will coincide with the century old 'Desalpes' when the cows are coming back, down from the high mountain pastures to the valley for the winter.

Daniel, our host, has also selected a series of interesting intertainements for all of us.

Please let him know ASAP who is coming, as he needs to have 'numbers' to get things going. Also how we are going to arrive there: airline, private aircraft, train, car, horse back, camel back, unicycle with flux capacitors, roller-skates or on simply on foot…

Also let him know if some of us will arrive early and stay after the Meeting.

Looking forward to see you there after all the waiting…

May 3, 2022

Edwin Galkin announces his fourth RTW still raising money for Alzheimer's disease. He plans to depart on Sept.18,2022 with Zvi Mosery, on his first RTW.
Wishing them success.
Edwn Galkin faithful Centurion N2160S
flyforthecure.org

April 29, 2022

Sincere congratulations to Matthias Niederhäeuser and Robin Wenger for the successful completion of their RTW in a Diamond DA50RG, HB-RTT. They took off from Zurick on January 22, 2022 and landed on April 22.
https://www.diamondo-earhrounding.com/

March 24, 2022

Like brother, like sister.
Mack Rutherford, a Belgian-British 16 year old pilot hopes to join his sister Zara in the record books in his attempt to become the youngest person to fly solo around the world in a small aircraft. He took off on Wednesday from an airstrip west of Bulgaria's capital, Sofia. He hopes to beat Travis Ludlow of the UK, who was 18 when he set the record in 2021.
Like his sister, he is flying a Shark ultralight aircraft and because of Russia's invasion of Ukraine his flight was rerouted to avoid flying over Russian territory.

Wishing him fair winds and blue skies...

Https://macksolo.com

March 8, 2022

We lost a loved and valued friend this week, the amazingly intrepid Anglo-Swiss aviator Gerard Moss, who dedicated himself with his wife Margi to researching the "flying rivers" of moisture that flow from the Amazon rainforest and impact climate in Brazil and beyond. As naturalized Brazilian citizens, until a decade ago Gerard and Margi were the only South American Earthrounders to have flown around the world in a single-engine plane, an Embraer Sertanejo. They were the first Earthrounders to cross the Pacific Ocean via Easter Island in a single engine aircraft. In 2001, Gerard was the first person to fly around the world solo in a motor glider, a Brazilian-built Ximango. His flying experience allowed Gerard to have a firsthand view of the effects of global warming and deforestation that grew into projects aimed at conservation of the Amazon, collecting water samples from the region's rivers by piloting a seaplane, the only way to carry out this research in such a large country. Another of his exploits was to drive a Brazilian-made Land Rover around the world. Gerard was honored with an MBE at Buckingham Palace in 2011 for services to the environment in Brazil. He was a kind and caring gentleman, a generous man with a big heart. I will miss him terribly, so will my family, his many friends and Brazilian environmentalists.

We shall all miss him.

Sincere condolences to Margi.

Bill Charney

March 8, 2022

It is with a great sadness that we learnt of Bill's last take off.
He passed away on January 5, 2022, after a brief illness.
We are losing a great aviator, a great man and a great friend.
There will be a funeral Mass in Reno followed by a celebration of life on April 2nd and he will be buried at Arlington National Cemetery next winter at a date and time still to be determined.
His obituary can be found by clicking on this link. https://www.rgj.com/obituaries/rgj046274
Bill gave me personaly the great pleasure and honor when he visited me in Northam (YNTM) in February 2010.
So long Bill...
https://captainbiff.com/
More Photos.

March 6, 2022:

From Magkas:
All Russian Airspace is closed to all foreign aircraft.

Februay 10, 2022:

Ian Porter announces a family RTW in a Airvan, departing Vancouver BC in June 2022. They hope to raise $1 million for the global charity SOS Children''s Villages.
Wishing them fair winds and blue skies.
Larger picture

January 28 2022:

Many thanks to John Bone (RTW 2017, 2021) for a very informative report on flying in Russia.
A must for any pilots contemplating flying in Russia.
https://airfactsjournal.com/2021/11/flying-a-cirrus-vfr-across-russia/

January 26, 2022:

Matthias Niederhäuser and Robin Wenger of DiamomdoEarthrounding have left Zurick in a Diamond DA50RG, HB-RTT on January 2, 2022.
They are now in Bangkok (VTBD).
Diamondo Earthrounding

January 21, 2022:

Sincere congratulations to 19 years old, Zara Rutherford, for the successful completion of her solo RTW in a Shark light aircraft. She landed yesterday at Korrtrijk in Belgium. That was after braving hurricanes, the siberian winter, more than 60 days of delays but with the help of her friend Miffy and of the fitting of a flux capacitor. She acheived her goal of being the youngest female solo pilot around the World. She also flew the two equatorial antipodies (Colombia and Indonesia).
Hers is the last RTW started since the pandemic.
More photos.
https://flyzolo.com/

From Daniel Ramseier, our host in Switzerland:

Dear Earthrounders,

We sincerely hope you are well and healthy and we look forward at seeing you in September at Château-d'Oex in Switzerland.
It seems that the World is moving back to 'normallity' and we are confident we will be able to hold our reunion.

We wish you all a Merry Christmas and the very best for a Happy and Healthy New Year.
Stay safe and healthy.

Kindest regards

Switzerland Meeting News Letter N° 4

October 17, 2021:

Sincere congratulations to Adam and Katie Stites for the successful completion of their RTW in their Mooney N1OKG. They landed on October 16th at KAVQ.
More pictures …

October 5, 2021:

News Letter form Makgas on 'Safe Countries" and information on Russia.

October 5, 2021:

Just another reminder:
Those Earthrounders who want to apply for the FAI Circumnavigator Badge, MUST register and get a Sporting Licence from their national Aero Club BEFORE they start the flight.
More …

September 15, 2021:

Sincere congratulations to Amir and Tamra Hyster for the successful completion of their Eastbound RTW.
They flew their Vision Jet N16AT from and to Centennial Airport (KAPA).
They are the first amateur pilot/crew to have flown around the World in a single engine Jet aircraft.
Larger picture.

September 14, 2021:

Belated congratulations to Tom Grossgar, his wife Natalie and young children Jean and Claire for the successful completion of their Westbound RTW.
They were flying a beautiful Aerostar (all Aerostars are beautiful, according to the Webmaster!)
More pictures>

Martina and Alex

September 13, 2021:

Sincere congratulations to Martine Kist and Alex Gronberger for the successful completion of their Eastbound RTW.
Part of their Buenos Aires to Buenos Aires trip they landed at Coeur d'Alene Airport, Idaho (KCOE) where they were in April.
There, they did come across Tom and his family flying Wesbound in an Aerostar.
They were also lucky to come across Amir and Tamra Hyster in their Vision Jet N16AT, flying together from St Petersburg to Anadyr in Russia.
Meeting in KCOE, April 2021
Their blog.

September 1, 2021:

A sad day for all Earthrounders.
We lost our friend Sergey Terehkin. He passed away peacefully testerday in a Madrid Hospice. He was 73.
He was our Host in the Earthrounders Meering in Saint Petersburg in 2014.
We all of course thought the world of Sergey and he and I did many flying trips in all parts of the world and we became the best of friends.
Bob Bates
Our sincere condolences to his wife, daughter Anna and grandson and to all who knew Sergey.

Larger photo

August 24, 2021:

One Iridium phone available FREE.
Details.

August 19, 2021:

Yesterday, August 18, 2021, Zara Rutherford, a British-Belgian lady, 19 years old, took off from the International airport Kortrijk-Wevelgem (Belgium-Europe) for a flight westbound around the world and so to overfly 52 countries. She is in the Slovakian built "Shark", a VLA-aircraft. She plans to become the youngest female solo pilot around the World.
She is already in Scotland.
We wish her success all along.
https://flyzolo.com/
More photos.

August 12, 2021:

Sincere congratulations to John Bone for the successful completion of his second Eastbound RTW.
He landed on August 10 in Apalachicola, FL
"I flew over 7,000 miles in Russia and cannot say enough about how helpful, friendly and accommodating the Russian pilots, mechanics, airport workers and everyone else were. A very friendly general aviation country. "
Larger picture.
John Bone's first Westbound 2017 RTW
https://forgottencoastflyers.com/

August 3, 2021:

Nineteen year old, Zara Rutherford announced her departure from Belgium on August 18.
She plans to be the youngest female solo pilot to fly around the World.
Wishing her success, fair winds and blue skies all along.
https://flyzolo.com/

For earlier notices, please click here