Freedom Flight is the story of two ordinary men on an extraordinary adventure. In celebration of the centenary of powered flight and a decade of South African independence, SA pilots Alan Honeyborne and Ricky De Agrela took off, completely unsupported, from Cape Town on 16 December 2003. Their aim – to touch down on each continent of the world on the longest expedition ever flown in microlights.
The expedition achieved several firsts for private aviation including flying through Yemen and Nepal and completing an unsupported microlight flight from South Africa to Australia. However, tragedy struck, first in China where Alan went down and later in Belize, when Alan’s replacement, Martin Walker, also sustained a fatal accident.
Ricky overcame personal trauma and debilitating fear to fly alone from England through Europe, over the Mediterranean Sea, the Sahara Desert and the wildernesses of East and Southern Africa to make it back to Cape Town. His accomplishment embodies the expedition’s vision of encouraging others to reach for the sky.
The story of Ricky’s remarkable achievement is told in website updates and e-mail correspondence with maps detailing the 64 000-kilometre route.