August 7, marked the beginning of a new dream for Mumbai's 22-year-old Aarohi Pandit and 24-year-old Keithair Misquitta. They were embarking on a first-of-its-kind expedition to circumnavigate the earth in a light sports aircraft called 'Mahi'.
They were the first Indian women to achieve this feat.And though the mission had to be temporarily aborted in Greenland due to terrible weather conditions, the two young pilots managed to fly the aircraft for 12,900 km in 27 hops, covering over 17 countries.
Aarohi Pandit also became the first Indian woman pilot to have flown solo over the Atlantic Ocean in the light sport aircraft.
Conceptualized and executed with the support of Social Access Communications, in association with the Ministry of Women and Child Development, the idea of the expedition was to fly this all-woman crew over 22 countries in 84 arduous legs for 100 days, over land, mountain, sea and ice.
Once successful, it would be a world record made by the two Indian pilots. Also, the first ever civilian circumnavigation by a non-commercial flight by India, the larger cause of this expedition was to raise funds for the WE! Udaan scholarship to train underprivileged girls living in areas connected by Udan, India's regional connectivity programme, to learn and earn from flying.
The young women who kickstarted the expedition from Patiala were trained at the Bombay Flying Club and received additional coaching to fly the aircraft in Serbia.
Source and Credit : https://www.thebetterindia.com/161525/mumbai-pilots-aarohi-keithair-aircraft.