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ALEMBANG: British paraplegic pilot Dave Sykes embarks on his solo flight from Sultan Mahmud Badaruddin II in Palembang, South Sumatra to Darwin, Australia, on Friday. He is flying a Pegasus Quik GT (picture), manufactured in the United Kingdom. A lightweight aluminum wheelchair is fitted in the back of the craft for Sykes to sit on, and move about on the ground.

“Powered by the Rotax 912S 100HP four cylinder, four-stroke engine, the aircraft can fly at speeds of up to 90MPh. It has a maximum weight of 450 kilograms, including fuel and pilot, and can land in a distance as small as 200 metres,” Sykes’ website, soloflightglobal.com informed.

Sykes started his journey, which he called an “epic solo, record breaking microlight journey”, to Australia from York in the UK on April 28. The journey is to celebrate 80 years since Amy Johnson became the first woman to fly solo to Australia, Sykes said on his website.

The journey, estimated to take six to eight weeks, encompasses 18 countries including Italy, Egypt, Bangladesh and Indonesia.