UK man aims for 1st round-the-world gyrocopter flight

London, April 1 (IANS) A British adventurer has taken off as he attempts to be the first person to fly around the world solo in a gyrocopter, the media reported on Monday.James Ketchell, 37, will fly over 22,800 nautical miles across 13 different countries including France, Lithuania, Russia, Canada and Greenland, before arriving back in England in six months' time, reports the Guardian.The gyrocopter travels at just 70 knots, with a range of only 700 nautical miles.During his trip he will stop at schools in every country he visits to give motivational talks and raise money for two charities -- Kindled Spirit, which supports victims of trafficking, and Over the Wall, which supports children and young people facing serious health challenges.On Sunday, crowds gathered at the Popham airfield in Hampshire to wave him off before he left to fly across the Channel from Goodwood, Sussex, on Monday.Ketchell is also the first British man to have rowed solo across the Atlantic Ocean and reached the summit of Mount Everest.In 2015, he attempted to row across the Indian Ocean but had to be rescued 200 miles from the coast of Australia after his rowing partner sustained an injury.
--IANS ksk/bg