Kolkata, March 28

A team of 14 pilots of the Indian Air Force has created a new national record by completing a 10,000-km-long paramotor adventure expedition.“It is a no mean feat considering that the pilots flew in an open cockpit remaining unprotected from the vagaries of weather and other elements while traversing through varying terrain ranging from mountains, coasts, forests and desert,” an Air Force spokesperson said.The IAF expedition ‘Pradakshina’ had set out on a 10,000-km-long flight on February 1 from IAF’s Kalaikunda airbase in West Bengal and came back to a rousing welcome this Saturday.The feat by the ‘Skyriders’ team of 14 Air Warriors led by Wg Cdr MPS Solanki surpassed the existing national record of 9,132 km. The team undertook circumnavigation of India along the periphery. The team followed the eastern coast to Kanyakumari before turning northwards along the western coast till Gujarat. — PTI