Slovenian Starts Solo Round-the-World Flight on Ultra-Light Plane - International Business Times AU

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Slovenian Starts Solo Round-the-World Flight on Ultra-Light Plane - International Business Times AU

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During the flight, he will take photographs and measure the concentration of black carbon and light-absorbing carbonaceous aerosols above Antarctica, Africa and the Atlantic and Pacific oceans using an aethalometer installed on the aircraft.

Among the photographs to be taken are places with plenty of clean drinking water and places without a single drop of water.
The data will be given to climatologist to help them determine the role of biomass and fossil fuel combustion emission in climate change.

Lenarčič's team will keep the public informed of his progress via a blog that will also show his photographs.

Light aircraft manufacturer Pipistrel is among the sponsors of the GreenLight WorldFlight. The company is the builder of the Virus SW 80/100, which won the NASA contest for non-government-funded technological achievements dubbed Centennial Challenges in 2007 and 2008.

Pipistrel was also awarded NASA's Green Aviation prise in 2011 for its electric aircraft that flew 322 kilometres in less than two hours while using the equivalent in electricity of just over a half-gallon of fuel per occupant.

The Virus SW 80/100 is the most economic high speed cruiser and definitely the fastest high-wing aeroplane in its category, according to Pipistrel's website. Made from state-of-the-art composite materials, it weighs only 300 kilogrammes. It is capable of flying up to 4,572 meters high and over a distance of 1,500 kilometres. It can take off and land from short runways and produces little noise.

But the round-the-world flight with the Virus-SW914 will not be that easy for Lenarcic. He must safely


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