A planned flight to fly to both the North and the South Pole by pilot Robert DeLaurentis has been delayed.
Initially planned to take off on Dec. 15, 2018, the polar circumnavigation has been delayed until this summer — with a departure date of “approximately” June 1, 2019, according to DeLaurentis.
In an email, DeLaurentis names several factors in the delay:
“The delaminated windshield caused delays and a financial burden on the trip.”
“Last week it was determined that the bearings used in the right engine torque sensor transducer were from a defective lot and needed to be replaced. The will cause additional time delay as well,” he said.
He added he would like to get “more time in the plane with all the new systems that have been installed to debug them and get the plane stabilized.”
The delay will also give the pilot time to raise additional funds for the trip, as well as complete an app so that kids can track the flight.
He also hopes the app will allow kids — and others — to “see the spots on the planet where plastic islands have formed in hopes of raising awareness for the oceans.”