Pilots hold conference

By ELIAS LARI
A total of 27 pilots from around the world gathered at the Mt Rondon Ridge Lodge in Mt Hagen, Western Highlands, last week.
The pilots were part of Earthrounders network who travelled to Mt Hagen to attend a conference, exchange ideas and help each together in order to visit the country, attend their biennial conference and exchange ideas to help each other.
Earthrounder is a group of pilots with a unique achievement in common, they have flown solo around the globe in light aircraft.
The Earthrounder “community” was conceived to unite these pilots who are imbued with an adventurous spirit.
These pilots have sweated it out crossing oceans, mountains and deserts in a full circumnavigation of all the earth’s meridians, battled to secure landing and over flight permissions and pocketed memorable experiences in the process.
Since the dawn of aviation, only a handful of pilots have made this challenging voyage, it is a form of flying totally alien to the realm of executive jets and airliners which are specifically built for transoceanic, intercontinental and long-distance flights.
Earthrounder president Claude Meunier said the Earthrounders meeting was held every two years.
He said in 2014, the meeting was held at Russia and this year they have moved to PNG.
He said they have flown from all over the world and this was the first time to be in PNG.
Meunier said most of the pilots were from the aviation industry while others were private and retired pilots. The only way to join is to fly yourself around the world in a light aircraft.
“Crossing over the oceans and mountains is a very good experience,” he said.
Meunier, a helicopter pilot, said they have been in PNG to meet each other and share ideas.
“After the meeting here we will be travelling to other countries,” he said.
Bob Bates is the only Papua New Guinean who is a member of the group.