Barry and Sandra Payne (BAZ flyers) have circumnavigated the world in a small single-engine aircraft.Leaving their home airport of Taupo they flew over Australia to Japan where the weather problems delayed them three days.
Their next stop was Myachikoro Airport Moscow before heading into Alaska. From there they headed down to the United States and across to New York, and the OshKosh aerodrome and air display was their next port of call where there were 1500 aircraft.
They entered into one of the competitions and won a Bronze prize for their 1960’s BAZ.
The next part of their trip was to Narasuag in Greenland then Reykavik in Iceland back down to Scotland and to Wick. On arriving in England they decided, because of the wonderful reception they had received at all the airports in Russia they would head through there to complete their around the world adventure.
It took several weeks to get all their visas etc to enter there but going back through Russia was another 9600 kms, 3 weeks, 8 flights, 45 hours flight time with the longest flight being 8.7 hours. So it was Blagues, Vadivostok, Myachikoro Airport, Moscow again then Kagoshim, and Kirishima Japan on to Manila, Balikpapum and Broom Australia.
By the time they had got home the statistics were : 50 flights,175 days,217 flight hours, Earthrounders Award FAI Circumnavigator Diploma The Bronze from OshKosh (only the second plane attending the air pageant from New Zealand.
What a great adventure, ideal for recounting to the mixed attendance of the Combined Services members and a scrumptious dinner befitting of the occasion.