Principal Jia Jinyuan Attended the Ceremony of Zhang Bo’s First Around the World Flight in Beijing
Click: Post Date:2016-10-11 21:15:50 Event Date:2016-10-11 21:15:50
At three thirty on the afternoon of September 24, 2016, Doctor Zhang Bo, an alumnus of the High School Attached to NWNU, landed a light aircraft at the Beijing Capital International Airport. Zhang Bo spent 49 days flying 40,818 kilometers, covering 23 countries and 44 airports. It was China’s first around world flight and Zhang Bo became the first Chinese to fly an aircraft around the world. On Sept. 25, 2016, the ceremony of the First Around the World Flight was held in China Agricultural University. Principal Jia Jinyuan was invited to attend the ceremony.
Zhang Bo made an enthusiastic speech at the ceremony in which he expressed his gratitude to the High School Attached to NWNU, China Agricultural University and University of Illinois for the education he received, and shared his joys and adventures along his flight. According to Zhang Bo, he had planned to spend 58 days flying over 20 countries and stopping at 50 more airports, but due to the change of part of the flight line, it took him 49 days to cover 23 countries and stop at 44 airports. Zhang Bo attributed this to the careful plan and cooperation of his team.
Yang Deling, senior journalist of Gansu Radio & TV Group, Orwell·Jager, an American mechanician, interpreter Liu Kexin and engineer Feng Guoxuan were on the aircraft with Zhang Bo. Prior to his flight, Zhang Bo was engaged as the ambassador of the First Silk Road (Dunhuang) International Cultural Expo, as a result, the flight was also a global promotion of “The Belt and Road Initiative ”.
Zhang Bo stopped in 23 countries, including Russia, the United States, Canada, Great Britain and The Republic of Kazakhstan etc. where he presented silk gifts printed with Dunhuang stories to his friends from all walks of life and took some soil as souvenir. During the Eurasian line, the team designed their fight line along the ancient silk road. The flight caught the attention of media in the countries along the flight and was welcomed by Chinese and overseas Chinese representatives. When Zhang Bo flew back to China in September 7, he stopped in Urumchi, Shihezi, Dunhuang, Zhangye, Lanzhou etc. and landed at the Beijing Capital International Airport, accomplishing China’s first around world flight.
On August 7, 2016, Zhang Bo flew TBM700 light aircraft, a single engine turboprop aircraft, from Beijing Capital International Airport, starting China’s first around world flight. So far, more than 350 around world flights have been accomplished, but none of them was started from China. Therefore, Zhang Bo’s flight was China’s first around world flight starting from and landing in China. “Around world flight” refers to flying an aircraft from one place and returning to the place after making a complete cycle around the earth and passing all the meridian. The flight can not be less than the length of north and south tropic of cancer, namely 36,700 kilometers, and the pilot and plane can not be changed during the flight.
