world flight 100

What is the significance of World Flight 100? World Flight 100 commemorates the centenary of the historic first flight round the world in 1924. It began in April 1924 amidst a competitive global effort by America, Argentina, England, France, and Italy to claim the prestige of being the first nation to “Fly Around the World”.

History: The race started on April 24 when eight US Army flyers and crewmen took off from Lake Washington in four Douglas biplanes and headed north to Alaska on a westwards flight around the world. One of the four planes crashed in Alaska, but the crew was rescued. A second aircraft ditched in the North Atlantic and the crew was picked up by the U.S. Navy. The two remaining flight crews returned to a huge welcoming crowd in Seattle on September 28, 1924 after completing the epic 175 day, 26,345 mile journey and becoming the First to Fly Around the World.

COMMEMORATION

Commemorating the centenary of the first flight round the world, Barry and Bob will fly Piper Comanche ZK-BAZ westwards round the world closely reenacting the original 1924 flight route.

The duo depart Mount Hagen in the Central Highlands of Papua New Guinea on 1st June, 2024, flying north of the equator to arrive in Kagoshima, Japan, at the same time the original flyers landed there 100 years ago. They then traverse Russia meeting many aviators across the land before again intercepting the original flyers route at Brough in the UK.

Barry and Bob’s flight will retrace the original flyer’s air path over the North Atlantic, and across the USA all the way to Seattle. After Seattle the flight will pickup the original 1924 flight route north to Alaska, down the remote Aleutian Islands to Russian Kamchatka and finally complete a full circle at Kagoshima.

World Flight 100 is scheduled to arrive back in Mount Hagen on 28th September, the same day the two Douglas Air Cruiser’s landed at Seattle in 1924, completing the First Flight Round the World..

commanche tail Roundel

Barry and Sandra designed the unique Roundel prominently displayed on the Comanche’s tail for their 2019 world circumnavigation. It expresses their pride in being New Zealanders and symbolises them as individuals but at the same time a flying duo.

Now updated for World Flight 100. The crew on World Flight 100 represents both New Zealand and Papua New Guinea, and recognition of this is reflected with the addition of a stylised Bird of Paradise (“Kumul"), symbolising Papua New Guinea as an independent nation.

WORLD FLIGHT 100

The adventure starts at Mount Hagen in the Central Highlands of Papua New Guinea on 1st June 2024. World Flight 100 is scheduled to arrive back in Mount Hagen on 28th September 2024. Barry and Bob will fly Piper Comanche ZK-BAZ westwards round the world.