Posted: May 12, 2010 03:40 pm EDT
On April 25, 2010, François Bernard and Christian de Marliave, started flying with an Ultra-light from Nome to Wales in Alaska. Due to high winds in Wales they spent the night. The following day François Bernard, from France, and Frederik Paulsen from Sweden continued the flight and crossed the Bering Strait; according to them the first Ultra-light Bering Strait crossing from America to Russia.

Christian de Marliave shot over the news to ExplorersWeb.

While crossing the Bering Strait, François and Frederik made a quick landing on Little Diomede. They continued their flight to Chukotka where they landed in Lavrentiya after a two-hour flight. François Bernard and Frederik Paulsen have completed the first crossing of Bering Strait from America to Russia with an Ultra-light, said Christian to ExplorersWeb.

In Lavrentiya the two men were welcomed by the major of the city and after clearing customs, François Bernard flew back to Wales where he refueled and continued flying to Nome; covering a total distance of 640 km.

The Bering Strait has been crossed once before by Ultra-lights, on April 1, 1992 when a Czech-Russian-Ukrainian team flew from Lavrentiya to Wales with four trikes, added Christian.

François Bernard climbed Everest in 1993, reached North Pole starting from Cape Arktichevsky in 1996 (unsupported, unassisted), and reached South Pole, starting from Gould Bay (North of Berkner Island) in 1999 (unsupported, unassisted).

Frederik Paulsen was the main sponsor and passenger (aboard Mir-2) of the submersible dive at a depth of 4300 m below the North Pole in August 2007.

 EMAIL   PRINT   SHARE   TEXT