Slovenia eco-friendly aircraft reaches Seychelles

Seychelles has witnessed the arrival of one of the smallest aircraft to arrive at the archipelago’s international airport.

Seychelles has witnessed the arrival of one of the smallest aircraft to arrive at the archipelago’s international airport.

The ultra-light motor glider Virus-SW914, the fastest in the world in its category, piloted by Serbian biologist, environmentalist, photographer-pilot, Matevž Lenarčič, touched down in the Seychelles islands on Sunday after 75,000 kilometers of flight.

Describing his flight as ”adventurous,” Matevž said that his mission for the lonely flight around the world is ”part of a scientific project to measure the level of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.”

Equipped with a digital memory card storing data on the environmental state of the planet, the aircraft, which weighs 750 kg fully loaded with pilot and equipment, has flown over the continents’ highest mountains such as the Mont Blanc in Europe with a height of 4,810 meters; Kilimanjaro in Africa with an altitude of 5,895 meters; as well as the south Atlantic and South Pacific Ocean. Last week, Matevž flew over the summit of Mount Everest, the highest peak in the world.

On this trip, he has flown over more than 120 national parks and hundreds of natural monuments and resorts. Seychelles is the 42nd out of the 55 countries which the Matevž has crossed in his solitary journey around the world.

Upon his landing at 1645 hours Seychelles local time, the Slovenian was welcomed by the Minister responsible for Tourism and Culture, Alain St.Ange; the Chief Executive of the Seychelles Tourism Board, Elsia Grandcourt; and Mike King-Harman of Hunt Deltel & Co.

The Seychelles Minister said, as he welcomed Mr. Matevž at Seychelles International Airport, that he was happy to see the environment-friendly Seychelles on the stops of this world tour. “We welcome you to Seychelles and wish you a pleasant break in paradise,” Minister St.Ange said.

Matevž “GreenLight WorldFlight” mission in an aircraft, conceived to burn the smallest amount of fuel per distance flown, started in early 2012. After two nights in Seychelles, the “GreenLight WorldFlight” is now heading to Tanzania, Mozambique, South Africa, Namibia, Angola, Congo, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Niger, Libya and its last lapse in Tunisia to complete the 80,000 kilometers of flight set around the world with a minimal use of 95-octane unleaded fuel.

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Linda Hohnholz

Editor in chief for eTurboNews based in the eTN HQ.

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