…And Without Leaving The Ground

Mounting a round-the-world flight for charity takes organization, up-front funding, pilots and, of course, an airplane. Or does it? Some enterprising do-gooders in Sutton, England, have been circling the globe without ever leaving the ground. Using a homebuilt flight simulator, World Flight volunteers take the controls over a period of about a week in a virtual circumnavigation that raises money for Dreamflight, a group that takes seriously ill children to Florida theme parks for vacations. The next “trip” (flown by virtual pilots from all walks of life) leaves England Nov. 8 for a 35,000-mile journey that ends Nov. 14. One of the great things about World Flight is that there’s no need to have a pilot certificate to take part. Volunteer “pilots” include truck drivers and business managers. Apparently some airline pilots also take part.