Wing Commanders Rahul Monga and Anil Kumar were in Iqaluit on August 1 and 2, 2007 on day 60 and 61 of their record-breaking ultralight trip around the world. The event was part of the celebration of the 75th Anniversary of the Indian Air Force.  On the Canadian arctic part of their,  trip they experienced a few days of bad weather, holding them in Northern Quebec before they could cross the Hudson Strait to Iqaluit.

The trip was flown in a Flight Designs CT advanced ultralight.  They broke the previous record of 99 days for an ultralight 'round the world trip, leaving India on June 1, 2007, and touching down there again August 20th, for a total enroute time of 79 days.

In January 2008, Monga and Kumar were awarded the Shaurya Chakra in recognition of this accomplishment.

Rahul Monga has written a book about the trip. Around the World in 80 Days is published by Lancer Publishers, an Indian military books publisher. We got our copy on-line from the Lancer Publishers website.  It features candid thoughts and observations as Rahul and Anil made their way around the world.

And of course, records are made to be broken. There's a group in Belgium already making plans to beat the Monga/Kumar 'round the world record.  We'll be watching for them coming through Iqaluit in 2013.