Not One, But Two CTs Depart for Around-the-Globe Flight

South Woodstock, CONNECTICUT / May 3, 2010 — One hundred years to the day, two pilots started an immense journey to celebrate the first flight of an airplane in Switzerland, in 1910. The pair of European pilots departed April 30th and are following a carefully-designed route around the planet. One big difference in this flight:  the journey will be done in two nearly-identical aircraft flying as a team.

“Two Swiss airline pilots left their home country, each flying in a modified CTLS aircraft,” announced Tom Peghiny, president of Flight Design USA. Yannick Bovier, 37, and Francisco Agullo, 41, departed Sion, Switzerland on the last day of April flying the first leg of the around-the-world tour that will take them  44,000 kilometers (27,500 miles) through 18 countries and across five continents and two oceans (a world map of the “Twin CT” flight is available at http://www.azimut270.ch/en/2010.html and interested parties can follow their progress at http://www.azimut270.ch/en/position.html). The two pilots have named their aircraft:  Céline (registered as HB-WYA) and Dreamcatcher (HB-WYB). Each carries 120 gallons of fuel (a stock CTLS carries 35 gallons of auto gas or 100LL giving it a range of more than 800 nautical miles).

“U.S. stops are planned for Miami, Florida / Dallas, Texas / Las Vegas, Nevada / and Monterey, California,” reported John Gilmore, National Sales Manager for Flight Design USA. “During their week in the USA (planned for May 17-21, 2010) Flight Design USA is arranging for Bovier and Agullo to meet American CT owners plus interested media. We believe this immense undertaking shows very well how effective the CTLS can be at flying long distances. Most Americans may not fly around the world but they regularly see the USA in their LSA from Flight Design.” In July 2007, a single CT was flown around the globe in the other direction by two Indian military pilots to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the Indian Air Force. Join Yannick and Fransico via Flight Design on FACEBOOK at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Flight-Design-USA/123077997704293/

The Twin CTs around the world flight has four primary objectives:  • Pay a tribute to the pioneers and commemorate the 100th anniversary of Swiss aviation • Promote a more ecological and economical general aviation in order to reduce its environmental impact in the future • Inspire young people thinking of starting in aviation or making a career out of it • Make a dream come true and encourage other people to act and fulfill their own dreams.

The Flight Design CTLS is a modern, all-carbon-fiber Light-Sport Aircraft with a wide, comfortable cabin with unparalleled visibility; flying 135 mph for 850 nautical miles using only 5 gallons per hour.  A full glass panel, Garmin radio stack, and a BRS airframe parachute are all standard equipment. Flight Design LSA are backed with a nationwide service network, next-day parts availability and an established company serving more than 1,500 airplanes worldwide. Surveyed owners express high customer satisfaction.