In Jules Verne’s Around the World in Eighty Days, Phileas Fogg and his valet take steamers and trains and even an elephant while in India to win a bet with £20,000 at stake. Flying instructor Captain Audrey Deepika Maben and her 19-year-old daughter Amy Mehta are driven by a different goal as they get ready to fly around the world in 80 days in a motor glider: to spread awareness on women empowerment.

They will cover 21 countries and 50,000 km to garner support for the We! Udaan scholarship for underprivileged girls who want to fly.

K. Moses Chalai, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Women and Child Development, congratulated the mother-daughter duo and also read a message on behalf of Menaka Gandhi. He said the expedition would be a great example of the Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao campaign.

The expedition

Talking about the expedition, Captain Audrey said the it was very dear to her as it would help young girls around the country realise their dreams of flying. “This expedition is only one part of our mission. The larger goal is to encourage women across the country to take up flying,” she said.

She explained that this expedition would be a challenge as they would have to land for washroom breaks and prepare their bodies to accustom to tough conditions during their monthly cycles.

The expedition, in its planning stages now, will be finalised in the next two months. They plan to travel across 21 countries with 70 to 90 landings in between, which may vary depending on prevalent weather conditions and re-fuelling. They will fly eastward towards Japan, Russia, Alaska, North America, Greenland, Europe, Pakistan and back to India. As the motor glider requires fair weather and as Captain Audrey only has a daylight flying licence, they will be flying around 5-6 hours per day.

Training routine

As part of her training routine, Captain Audrey, a mother of three, works out everyday and has regular physical training. She is also following a strict nutrition plan along with yoga and meditation. The initiative is undertaken by an entertainment channel in collaboration with the Ministry of Women and Child Development and Social Access Communications.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Bengaluru / by Ashwini Raj / Bengaluru – November 30th, 2017