Second South African Freedom Flyer Lost

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A South African microlight flyer, Martin Walker, 50, was killed in Belize on Aug. 27 while taking part in the round-the-world Freedom Flight tour. He had joined the trip this summer in San Francisco after one of the original flyers, Alan Honeyborne, died in a crash in China. Walker continued the flight with Ricky de Agrela, touring the Western states and stopping at Oshkosh during AirVenture before heading to Central America. Walker was reportedly one of the most experienced microlight pilots in South Africa. He was giving a ride to a passenger on the resort island of Ambergris Caye, off the coast of Belize, when the aircraft crashed on the runway. The passenger reportedly suffered minor injuries. The trip, which began in December, was meant to celebrate the centennial of flight and commemorate 10 years since the abolition of apartheid in South Africa. The flyers also raised funds for the Red Cross Children’s Hospital in Cape Town. At his last posting on the group’s Web site, on Saturday, de Agrela said he has “mixed thoughts” about continuing the tour, and will make decisions and update the Web pages soon.

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