The world famous around the world pilot Matevz Lenarcic makes a pit stop at The Airplane Factory to have his Pipistral Virus serviced before the next leg down to Cape Town. Welcome to our factory Matevz! We hope you enjoy your stay and best of luck for the rest of your trip!

Plans have been slightly changed due bad weather over Tanzania. From island of Zanzibar is much more easy to escape further south than from Kilimanjaro in case storms are around. I was very well accepted by Cedrick who operate microlight flying bussines  ZRP at Zanzibar international airport and hostetd by Horst German guy and his wife from Zimbabwe (speed record holedr climbed Kilimanjaro only in 11 hours) who operate tourist bussines in Arusha.

Morning was cloudy with storms around so was a bit complcated to find a way through and around Dar EsSalam airspace. After 2-3 hours I was above the clouds and Mozambique and remained there all the way to South Africa.

Matevž is already flying towards Tanzania, but we would like to post some photos recieved from Mr. Mike King-Harman, who made a nice welcome together with Mr Jacques de Lacoudraye Harter. On Arrival at Seychelles Matevž was greeted also by Mrs Elsa Grandcourt, CEO of the Seychelles Tourist Boar, and Mr Alain St Ange, the Minister of Tourism and Culture. He was at the airport for the inaugural flt of Ethiopian Airways but was happy to stay on to welcome Matevz. 

Matevž landed at 1645 local time on Sunday 1st April and was met by Mike King-Harman, CEO of Hent Deltel and also by the Seychelles Minister for Tourism and Culture, Alain St Ange. Mike cleared him thru customs and took him home. Refreshed and rested, they headed out to The Boathouse restaurant to meet a few friends of Mike's with connections in Africa for Matevz' next leg. I met him there briefly, enjoying some local Kreol cuisine in a beachside restaurant.

Matevz arrived at U-Tapao Int. airport (VTBU) around 5:30 pm on the 22nd of March.  After ICQ it was a little too late to land at PATTAYA AIRPARK, so he left his little plane at (VTBU). We had a reception for him at PATTAYA AIRPARK that night also I got special reporter from Thai PBS TV interviewed him and put him on TV next morning.  Unfortunately, many pilot friends who flew in to PATTAYA AIRPARK couldn't wait so they flew back and couldn't join us for a dinner.  Only some of PATTAYA AIRPARK members were here and had dinner together.

Big day on 23rd of March, it was a nice flying day for both of us. First mission, we flew a little plane Savannah to bring his little plane to PATTAYA AIRPARK and I took several pictures. Once arrived at PATTAYA AIRPARK we changed the oil on his aeroplane and in the afternoon we flew two planes taking pics and video. After that he refilled fuel then flew to     U-Tapao so he could take off very early in the morning.

24th I drove him to VTBU and after immigration and flight plan filed he took off around 8 am, flew direct to Patna, India. The amazing around the world flight by amazing pilot Matevz and his amazing little plane VIRUS SW had left Pattaya Airpark on 24th of March and flew 9 hrs. direct to Patna, India.

Wrote by Neil (Nawaporn Sawaetwong or Tang)

After overflying Mt Everest, Matevz flew to Kathmandu, where Barun from Avia Club Nepal was already waiting for him. He took him through several "birocratic" doors without any problems. It was very obvious, that without the support of Avia Club from Nepal, there would been no flying in Nepal. They have more than 16 years of work and experience in the field of civil aviation and this has its benefits and results too. They are one of seldom companies in the world who got permission to work as commercial carrier with ultralight planes.
The next morning the visibilaty was below minimum for VFR or special VFR, Matevz decided to change to IFR, which is to be honest in this dense traffic also more safe. The flight to Jauipur was going normally in bad visiability, the landing was only a bit turbulent. Captain Vibhooti and Slovenian Ambassador in India  g. Janez Premoze were waiting for Matevz and helped him through all the custums, administration and other possible problems...

Photos will follow soon!

GLWF team 

After long 8h of flying towards Trivandrum, in the south of India, Matevž is now ready for the new adventure - the crossing of the Indian ocean. The estimated take off is at 01.00 UTC and to reach Seychelles he will need long 11 h.

Good luck, Matevž!

GLWF team

Matevž left Jarpui at 03.00 UTC and is now on the way to  Trivandrum, in the south of India. For the 1996 kms he will need about 8 hours. Tomorrow the flight continues towards Seychelles. The estimated take off is at 01.00 UTC.

GLWF team

Mount Everest was successfully achieved.
The biggest thank goes to Avia Club Nepal, without their support, this would not be possible. The mission was achieved on Nepal site of Mt. Everest at 29400 feet. The weather was very beautiful, relatively good temperature, only -27°C, north westerly wind of 40 kts and from time to time turbulance. The Pipistrel Virus was performing perfectly, also MH oxsgen mask. The photos and more news will follow in the following days!

GLWF team