Amy Mehta was a baby when her mom Audrey was in the NCC. Audrey loved the skies. She flew the microlight and soared across Bangalore's crisp clear sky on every opportunity she got. Living off a farm on the Bangalore Mysuru road, she stayed in a house by a small human-made muddy airstrip. Audrey and her husband, a former airforce officer, spent most of her day flying microlights while Amy was growing up. As a result Amy went straight from crawling to flying. This was then. 19 years down, Amy is a young woman who has mastered flying like her mother and the duo are set to become the first mother daughter to fly an aircraft around the world in 80 days.
Audrey and Amy will be the first Indian women to take up a microlight expedition. They will attempt a world record in a specially designed aircraft called 'Mahi'. Their objective of the mission is to create awareness on women's empowerment.
The Bengaluru-based duo will be flying 50,000 km, covering 25 countries in 80 days. "I've flown safely this far. I will start my journey from Jakkur aerodrome, and want to come back safely to Jakkur. It's a life-changing task and I can't expect a better partner than my daughter. This initiative, 'Women Empower', will give wings to more girls who aspire to take on the skies," Audrey told Times of India.
Read Also: This Polish Ad About Mother-Daughter Relationship Will Melt Your Heart
The Union ministry of women and child development will be supporting the mission. The 'WE! Women Empower' project aims to spearhead a unique crowdfunding campaign for 'WE! Udaan Scholarship'. The scholarship will empower underprivileged girls who want to fly
The mother-daughter duo will travel only during the day as Audrey does not have the licence for night flying. Amy, a photography student, is thrilled to undertake such a journey with her mother. "I am going to be the eyes and ears of my mom on this journey. I will also be the social media correspondent. I hope to come up with a photo book after our voyage," she said.
Preparations done for the same
Audrey told TOI that she and Amy have been gearing up for the expedition by practising pranayama, physical exercises, yoga, drills and taking in nutrition programmes.
"The cockpit is not pressurized in a microlight, and it's going to be very tiring flying continuously. I am trying to supplement my body with the required endurance for the 80-day trip in the air," said Audrey.
SheThePeople.TV wishes the two, the very best and safe flight.
Pic credits: The Hindu
Read Also: A film on mother-daughter relationship; Sridevi comes back with MOM