AOPA Kyrgyzstan hosts Earthrounders gathering
The periodic meetings of Earthrounders, a group of general aviation pilots who have circumnavigated the globe, have been held in interesting locations including Vienna in 2001 and Zhengzhou, China, in 2018, when the trip coincided with the Zhengzhou AirShow. The 2025 get-together, however, was farther off the beaten track than usual.
This year 45 pilots from 11 countries, along with their spouses and other companions, met in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, from June 1 to 8. Getting to Bishkek by airline requires connecting flights from cities unfamiliar to many travelers such as Tashkent, Uzbekistan; Almaty, Kazakhstan; and Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The Earthrounders, having circled the world in Mooneys, Cessnas, homebuilt airplanes, and even balloons, were up for the challenge.
Soiuzbek Saliev, a local GA pilot who hosted the gathering with help from family and friends, said his goals for the event included giving guests an opportunity “to explore the incredibly rich nature of Kyrgyzstan and the unique culture, traditions, and customs of the Kyrgyz people.”
Saliev completed his circumnavigation in a Mooney Ovation in 2016. He also runs AOPA Kyrgyzstan, which, he said, “consists of 12 members, all fully committed to the development and promotion of general aviation in Kyrgyzstan.”
The program took place mainly in Bishkek and the resort area of Issyk-Kul Lake and included traditional games, hands-on participation in assembling and disassembling yurts, and activities associated with the region’s nomadic citizens. A “nomad show” organized by a local tourism company featured camels, horses, and yurts brought in on horseback.
In addition to learning about the host’s country, the Earthrounder meetings include technical presentations on topics of interest to people considering flying to other countries or around the world, including routes and necessary equipment.
The event marked the Earthrounders’ twenty-fifth year and also the first time its founder, Claude Meunier from Perth, Australia, who circumnavigated in 1996, was unable to attend “due to age and illness,” the group said. Other members have taken up the mantle, though, and plan to continue gathering “every second or third year, somewhere in the world.”
The next meeting will be in Argentina in March 2028.
Related Articles
