A Hungarian couple travels around the globe in a light aircraft
Change language:
Zoltán and Ágnes Keszy-Harmath – husband and wife – set out for an aerial adventure on the 1st of May: they are planning to fly around the globe with an Apollo Fox in four months, according to szeretlekmagyarorszag.hu.
This is not the first time Hungarian pilots have set out on such extraordinary trips: Árpád Lampich has broken records in the twenties with his 18 horsepower plane, and there is also Antal Bánhidi, who flew across the Mediterranean Sea in the thirties. However, the Hungarian couple planned on a much longer course than the previous two, though with 100 horsepower at their service.
Zoltán Keszy-Harmath and his wife, Ágnes, departed on Monday, heading eastward. They chose the ultralight Apollo Fox mainly because it is manufactured in the Halley Kft. In Eger. Even though this model is greatly popular during the aerial days in Hungary, no one has ever dared to fly around the world in it.
The couple made the announcement on the very last day of 2015, later on, they tested the plane and tried out the longer flights at higher altitudes, in the Alps. The final test was carried out barely a week before departure: the plane successfully flew over the longest distance that it is expected to make without a pause.
Getting permission to fly over Russian territories proved to be the most exciting yet complicated part of the journey: szeretlekmagyarorszag.hu reports that the couple has give or take 48 hours to finish particular courses, the Russian authorities were strict about the altitudes and distances they could take and that their visa is a very short term, it does not allow too much time for emergencies. Keszy-Harmath argues that it would be important if the Hungarian government could help them out if they would meet any administrational obstacles.
The trial flight was necessary because the Russian authorities gave permission to fly over the country if they are able to make a 1500 kilometre distance on two instances.