Virgin Atlantic sponsors A-Z flight of Oz!

Virgin Atlantic today announced that it is to sponsor Robin Liston and Rory McAuliffe’s attempt to fly around Australia visiting at least 26 different places with different letters of the alphabet – the A-Z of Oz. The two men plan to set off from Melbourne in a single-engine Piper Cherokee aircraft on 9 April and hope to make the 6000 mile journey in approximately 30 days.

Robin and Rory who met at school in Dorset, England, 50 years ago aged 9 years decided to undertake this challenge as a sixtieth birthday present to themselves. After floating the idea of driving around Australia in a car and visiting towns with names A-Z, they decided to embark on the journey in a light aircraft instead.

Rory, a mathematics educator by profession, is now a publisher, while Robin is a journalist and has just written a book called ‘Travels with My Heart’ which is due to be published in July. Rory took up flying about four years ago and will pilot the aircraft around Australia while Robin, whose great uncle was a First World War flying ace, will act as navigator.

Robin and Rory are offsetting their trip through a carbon exchange programme in Australia. The emissions from their journey are no more than the road journey of a 4 x 4 vehicle.

The journey will take the duo north from Melbourne towards Broken Hill, Alice Springs and Darwin along the north coast to Broome, then down the west coast tracking inland and finally across the Nullarbor via Renmark, returning to Melbourne.

The pair will be flying under visual flight rules (VFR) which means they will not fly into cloud and will navigate by map. However, the aircraft will carry GPS equipment and will have a mechanical flight computer and full set of charts that will enable the pair to complete the flight safety if the GPS system should fail.

Sir Richard Branson, Chairman of Virgin Atlantic Airways, commented: “We are really excited to be sponsoring Robin and Rory in their attempt to fly across Australia in such a beautiful aircraft. As a keen aviation enthusiast myself, I can relate to the challenges they will both meet and I wish them both well on their adventure.”

Rory McAuliffe, commented: “I have always had an urge to fly around Australia on my own, and although this is quite an ambitious project, I am confident that we will get from A to Z and see a great deal of remote and stunning country on our travels.”

Robin Liston added: “Most people celebrate their sixtieth birthday by having a party. We will be doing it in a slightly different way but, whatever happens, it will certainly be a memorable experience!”