"Once you have tasted flight, you will walk the earth with your eyes turned forever skyward, for there you have been, and there you long to return."

The Sky Viking Thailand to USA Flight is an ambitious and philanthropic project with three simple goals:

    1.  Help Thai children become more able and better students by introducing them to effective methods of studying through the Study Technology Pilot Program

    2.  Promote Aviation and Aviation Careers in Thailand by giving fly-in seminars to Thai students covering a variety of subjects including the Thai Aviation History and Aviation Career Opportunities

    3.  Promote General Aviation worldwide and Thailand as a tourist/flying destination by undertaking a Thailand to USA Flight in a restored and modified Cessna L-19 Bird Dog

STUDY TECHNOLOGY PILOT PROGRAM

The Study Technology Pilot Program is an ambitious project to introduce some exciting study technology to 2000 Thai schoolchildren in ten provinces and to train 100 of their teachers.  Study Technology, simply put, is the most useful technology available to people to enhance their ability to study and master any subject.  It's the answer to the question, "How should I study?" something our school systems have somehow forgotten to teach...  We tell our kids what to study, when to study, and that they should study hard, but we don't tell them how to study.  Study technology from Applied Scholastics does just that and does it with spectacular success.  For more information on this program, please see Study Technology Pilot Program.  The program will be presented to the Thai students concurrent with the seminars on Thai Aviation History and Aviation Careers.

THAI AVIATION HISTORY AND AVIATION CAREERS

Thailand has a rich and colorful aviation history.  For example, most Thai people don't even know that within eight years of the Wright Brothers historic first flight in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, there were people flying in Thailand. Also, during the golden age of aviation, the Royal Thai Air Force designed and manufactured its own combat aircraft. The Thai people have good reason to be proud of their aviation heritage and part of Sky Viking's mission is to promote awareness among Thai people of this exciting aspect of Thailand's history.   Our seminars will inform Thai young people about their country's proud aviation history and will stimulate their interest and motivation towards aviation careers whether as mechanics, air traffic controllers, dispatchers, avionics technicians, or pilots.

The seminars will include practical information about career opportunities in aviation as well as information about training schools, education requirements, and opportunities in the military.  When the seminars are finished, the students who were or are (as a result of the seminar) interested in aviation careers, will have all the data they need to set a course for the career of their choice.  Data provided will included information on military programs, the Civil Aviation Training Center, private aviation foundations and associations, and colleges and universities.

THAILAND TO USA FLIGHT

Sky Viking will undertake a flight from the Kingdom of Thailand to the USA in a restored and highly modified Cessna L-19/O-1 "Bird Dog" aircraft. The general route of flight is expected cross through Taiwan, Japan, Alaska, and Canada.  An alternative route would pass through the Philippines, Guam, The Republic of the Marshall Islands (or Wake Island), and Hawaii.  The final route and alternates will be determined after we have negotiated flight permits and made other arrangements in the various countries.   For the overall objectives of the flight, please see Sponsorship.

The aircraft, an L-19 "Bird Dog" built by the Cessna Aircraft Company in the 1950's, is in the early stages of restoration. It is a two-seat, propeller driven observation/utility aircraft. The aircraft is being restored and modified for the trans-Pacific Flight. Since this is a peaceful mission, all weapons and weapon systems will be removed and the aircraft "civilianized." For more information on the aircraft itself, please see Sky Viking Aircraft. or the L-19 Bird Dog Web Site.

The Thailand to USA flight will be preceded by a series of test flights in the Kingdom of Thailand. The latter in this series of test flights will be conducted concurrently with the educational and publicity tour of Thailand and the Study Technology Pilot Program. The tour will include an informational presentation to Thai school children in ten provinces throughout Thailand.

The flight will depart Thailand and fly to each successive stop with an appropriate layover to allow for crew rest.  While we do plan to set some world records for "Speed Over a Known Course" for aircraft of this weight category, we will ensure that the flight crew is properly rested before departure on each leg of the journey.

If technology and budget allows, we plan to have a real time or near-real-time "moving map" display of the progress of the mission as well as textual updates live on this site. If you have any ideas, suggestions, or you're interested in becoming a sponsor, please check in with sponsorship or e-mail sponsor@skyviking.com.

After the flight to the USA, the aircraft will keep its Sky Viking "colors" and fly to various air shows throughout the year in North America as a part of AIRSHOWUNLIMITED.   Its mission of informing the public and educating children about Thailand and aviation will remain unchanged.  Who knows? Perhaps we'll find another adventure for our faithful Bird Dog!