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Around-The-World Flight Makes Manassas Pit Stop
Dr. Bo Zhang wants to be the first to begin and end a flight in China in a single engine plane.
MANASSAS, VA — Manassas Regional Airport received quite the special aviator late Saturday morning — a pilot who's trying to take the first around-the-world flight beginning and ending in China in a single engine aircraft.
Dr. Bo Zhang landed about 11 a.m. and was greeted by embassy officials as well as a percussion band, according to an airport release.
According to the University of Illinois alumni website, Zhang, an alum, departed from Beijing on Aug. 7 and will fly approximately 25,000 miles by way of 11 countries on a route that includes the first-ever flight along the Silk Road — an ancient network of trade routes.
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He will fly over each line of longitude. The entire trip is expected to take 58 days, with Zhang making more than 30 stops along the way.
This is the second single engine around the world flight to land at Manassas Regional Airport this year. In June, Adrian Eichhorn finished his single engine solo trip around the world at the airport.
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Photo: Manassas Regional Airport
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