Around the world in 80 days: Audrey Maben, daughter out on record breaking flight
BENGALURU: In a first-of-its-kind circumnavigation attempt to create a world record in a motor glider, Captain Audrey Deepika Maben and her daughter Amy Mehta will travel across 21 countries covering 5,000 km in 80 days.
Capt. Audrey Maben said, “To me, flying has spelt nothing but freedom. Getting an opportunity to see the world and become one with it is an elevated state of freedom. I think when you give a woman wings, the whole flock flies.”
The 19-year-old Amy Mehta, who is accompanying her mother, said, “I am excited. I will be my mother’s eyes and ears and also be managing the social media. I will try and publish photography book at the end of it.”
Women and Child Development Minister Maneka Gandhi, who was not present, sent a congratulatory message, “Flight is one of the best symbols of liberation and I am happy to say that Indian women have demonstrated that there is no glass ceiling in the sky. As many as 11% of our pilots are women, while a country like the US has only 3%. In the Air Force, our girls are already accepted in the cockpit.”
She said, “I am delighted that Capt Audrey Maben, India’s first woman microlight flying instructor and also a mother of three, has decided to undertake his brave mission to raise funds for the training of underprivileged girls in aviation.”
Mr K. Moses Chalai, joint Secretary, women and child development ministry, said, “This will be a new milestone to show that women can equally reach great heights. It is a shining example of our Beti Bachao Beti Padhao campaign which aims to value the girl child and empower Indian women and truly give them the educational resources to achieve their dream of equality.”
The flight is part of a campaign, WE! Women Empower, which promotes the message of women empowerment through the crowd funding effort. The voyage is to support the ‘WE! Udaan Scholarship’, which will help underprivileged Indian girls to fly. This is an initiative By, Of and For the Girls and Women of India by Social Access Communications in collaboration with the Union Ministry of Women and Child Development and a private entertainment television channel.
