Father and son to chopper around the world for Canada 150

A Canadian father-son team is planning to go where no father and son have gone before - - on a flight around the world in a helicopter.

Bob Dengler and his son Steve plan to begin the potentially record-setting adventure with another pilot on Canada Day. It’s believed this will be the first time a father and son circumnavigate the globe together by air.

The trio will fly the Canadian-made Bell 429 Global Ranger chopper from Vaughan, Ont., to Ottawa before heading up the east coast, hopping over to Greenland, then to Iceland, through Europe, across Russia, and back to North America.

The 38,000-kilometre journey will include stops at more than 100 airports in 14 countries. They expect to complete the trip in about 35 days.

“(It) always feels so good to be up here,” Bob told CTV News during a flight on Thursday.

Bob spent much of Steve’s childhood founding and running a mining company. They pair did not spend much time together. But a shared passion for aviation and a twin-engine helicopter with a 700-kilometre range has made them closer than ever.

“Were incredibly lucky to be at a point in our lives where we have the time and the resources to make this flight together,” Steve said.

They figured Canada’s 150th birthday was the perfect occasion to set a Canadian milestone of their own. Their chopper is packed with Canadian technology, and they’ve even appointed a patriotic mascot: a Canada goose named Wawa.

Bob and Steve hope to use their trip to raise money for various charities. They plan to broadcast the journey live on the internet.

“We will be live all the way around the world,” Bob said.

With a report from CTV’s John Vennavally-Rao

 

A third of our circumnavigation will be through Russia, and so we're excited to announce that today the @c150go team received our Russian visas from the amazing staff at the Russian Embassy in Ottawa. We are looking forward to touring Russia's vast and beautiful landscapes.

A post shared by C150 Global Odyssey (@c150go) on Jun 15, 2017 at 4:43pm PDT

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  Bob spent much of Steve’s childhood founding and running a mining company. They pair did not spend much time together. But a shared passion for aviation and a twin-engine helicopter with a 700-kilometre range has made them closer than ever.

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  The trio will fly the Canadian-made Bell 429 Global Ranger chopper from Vaughan, Ont., to Ottawa before heading up the east coast, hopping over to Greenland, then to Iceland, through Europe, across Russia, and back to North America.