The First African Solo flight around the world is to begin tomorrow, Thursday, June 23, 2016 from Washington DC in the United States of America.
A statement signed by, Capt. Lola Odujinrin, the pilot, stated that flight will no longer start from Nigeria as publicized earlier.
“We the members of team Transcend wish to thank the general public for their immense interest and support during the last few months in relation to our project. The team have been working very hard to make this historic event a success. Our primary objective has been to have the First African Pilot fly Solo across the World and we are ever so determined to make this a reality.
“A round the world flight involves overcoming many challenges and team Transcend is no exception when it comes to facing pioneering trials. Taking off from Nigeria imposes an even more logistical challenge which amplifies the entire project cost. Needless to say, we have experienced a myriad of challenges and issues which has led to a delay affecting our original plan. Primary to the delay is the lacklustre response to our Sponsorship request. We are cognizant of the fact that it is a financially difficult time for many institutions at this point”, he said.
Odujinrin added that considering the economic factors, “The project will now kick off from Washington DC in the United States of America. The aircraft is currently in the USA and starting there greatly reduces our cost thereby helping us to achieve our ultimate goal.”
“We would like to thank our two main Sponsors Tolaram Group and Translynx Nigeria Ltd for their immense support in creating the impetus to our cause. We would also seize this opportunity to thank donors such as Cross River Sate, Arik Air, Lazza, Bruce Canopies (US) and Spidertracks (US).
“We would like to thank you all for your continued support and appreciate your interest in our project. The project kicks off on Thursday 23rd June 2016 and can be tracked live on our website www.transcend.ng. We can also be followed on Twitter @TranscendNG, Instagram #transcend.ng and Facebook Transcend.ng.”
By: Sade Williams
