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He
made it! He brought to life the dream of mankind, he saw the top of
the world, he arrived there where no one ever would have dared to
imagine.
In
date 24 May at 5,30 (local time) with a flight of more or less 4
hours and 30 minutes at a speed that reached the 200 km/h, Angelo
d’Arrigo, fulfilled an historic venture: he flew over the Everest
in free flight.
Few minutes after Angelo landed, from his satellite telephone
in an euphoric and exited communication he says:
“It is a big honour to have flown on
Qhomolangma, the goddess Mother of the earth; the Tibetans call it
the highest top of the world
I
immediately understood that this would have been the right day
for the crossing.
As
soon as we arrived at
Amadablam I “felt” that the conditions were favourable, but I did
not say anything to my companions because I did not want to agitate
them.
The flight has been more difficult than foreseen because the
forecast gave weak wind, in reality the wind was very strong
and it has been hard to resist it especially on the south cone where
was originally given a funnel effect.
The crossing has been extraordinary, I climbed up the valley of
Khumbu, flew over Namche, Amadablam, Nuptse, Lotse and at last the
top of the Everest.
I saw the Italian expedition that was facing the North-East ridge
and they saw me.
I landed at very high speed at ±10 o’clock at the Piramide of
the Everest, the centre of Italian scientific research and Beppe
Monti, the team leader and his men came towards me. They were the
first people I saw.
In
about one hour my team, who is preparing a party at the base camp
for tonight, will come to pick me up.
I
am happy and are already thinking at my next venture, in Peru
crossing the Andes following the Condors in flight”
In
reality the weather conditions became worse and it is not possible
to reach Angelo in Helicopter, the base camp is at 4 days of walk
and Angelo will therefore remain guest of the Piramide till it will
be possible for his team to reach him.
His physical conditions seem to be good even if it has not been
possible for Oscar Perrotti, his doctor, expert in extreme
expeditions who follows the mission, to reach him and verify him
personally.
The doctors of the Piramide checked the saturation of oxygen, and
everything seemed OK, Angelo seems to be catching up well and
quickly.
With his doctor, the team members who made the venture possible are
Richard Meredith, the pilot who flew the machine that conducted
Angelo into the ascendant flow with his brother Barth flight
technician and Massimo Puglisi with Achille Cesarano, specialized
pilots assisting in every phase of the mission.
But the travelling companions are also Fabio Toncelli director of
the documentary that SD Cinematografica is playing with the
operators Maurizio Felli and Marcello Muro and the sound technician
Stefano Cirilli and at last the photographers Livio Bourbon and
Enrico Paronuzzi.
Far from the base camp, but near to the mission there are the
supporters that made this venture possible:
Fiat auto, the medical center of Aerospace and Aeronautic Army,
Barbino & Partners, Quatar Airways, Luxottica, North Face and
Icaro2000
Angelo left from Milan to Kathmandu the 19th of April after having
said goodbye to his friends and journalists in an press conference.
After having made all the bureaucratic formalities he moved with his
team on the 26th to Lukla at 2800 metres, where there is
situated the first base camp. From here started the technical
preparations for the mission and some acclimatization flights with
the eagle Gea.
On
the 10th of May the entire team moved to Syangboche, the
advanced base camp at ± 4000 metres and from here on the 18th
of May started the temptations to fly over the Everest.
Every day was good waiting for the weather conditions till the 28th
of May, date in which the climatic conditions would have made the
flights impossible.
This morning the dream has come true, Angelo has flown high, higher
than ever.
It
is nice to think that with him the human being has flown and
remember that the man is able to achieve big ventures. |
