SA pilot in record flight attempt to circumnavigate the globe via both poles

Next week will mark the 50 years since the Apollo 11 moon landing.

To tie in with this event, there will be an attempt to break the round-the-world record for an aircraft flying over both the North and South poles, and it will be done in a Qatar Executive Gulfstream G650ER ultra-long-range business jet.

On board will be Action Aviation Chairman Hamish Harding and former International Space Station Commander Col. Terry Virts. Also on board will be a South African pilot Jeremy Ascough - who flies for Qatar Airways.

He cannot chat to us at the moment as he's still on duty and there is understandably some strict media protocol ahead of the attempt, but his aunt, Angela Desmidt, chats to Kieno Kammies about planned attempt.

She says the man behind the project was Commander Terry Burt

Terry Burt has orbited the planet more than 3,400 times as an astronaut. He is a veteran of three space flights and had a stint as commander of the international space station.

— Angela Desmidt, Aunt of SA pilot Jeremy Ascough

Find out more on OneMoreOrbit.com where you can see the live countdown to the launch, currently 5 days 8 hours 45 min. 51 sec away...and counting down to lift-off.

Listen to the interview below:


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