The Sling Squawk – June 2026
7 Jun 2026
“If you go on the Earthrounders.com website and search for completed globe circumnavigations by single-engine aircraft, you will see plenty of Cessna Caravans, Pilatus PC-12s, Beech Bonanzas, Mooneys, Piper Saratogas, Cherokee Sixes, and Malibus. With their massive useful loads, these airplanes were able to easily tanker the extra fuel needed to safely transition the longest over-ocean legs of such a journey.
What you will not see are very many light sport airplanes.
When you do the math, it appears nearly impossible to carry enough fuel in an LSA for an around-the-world flight with two pilots aboard plus required safety gear for extended overwater operations. But on two different earthrounder missions, pilots from Sling Aircraft in South Africa were able to circle the globe in heavily modified LSA’s.”
– Dan Pimentel (Flying Magazine)
After reaching Cape Town in Part 2, Josh Flowers and Chelsea Smith of Aviation101, along with Chris Lammert and Keelyn Costello, reunite with friends and fly their Sling aircraft north from Stellenbosch through the Tankwa Karoo, before crossing into Namibia and exploring the spectacular Fish River Canyon. From formation flying and the Tanqua Kuru Bicycle Race to fireside celebrations and an off-airport landing in the desert, the journey becomes less about following a plan and more about embracing whatever comes next—because sometimes the most memorable part of flying happens after the engine shuts down.