In celebration of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II's 60 years on the throne, we embark on a Diamond Jubilee flying tour of every member of the British Commonwealth of Nations. Over the next few weeks, our Royal Canadian Air Force CC-150 Polaris will circumnavigate the globe, touching down on five continents. As the tour progresses, we will post photos and updated mileage of our journey to these exotic and far-flung locales, so be sure and stay tuned...
Current location (final): Ottawa Macdonald-Cartier International Airport, Ottawa, Canada
Total mileage: 57,035.8 nautical miles
Day 1: 9 March 2012: Ottawa, Canada - Hamilton, Bermuda (928.7 nautical miles)
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| RCAF CC-150 Polaris Airbus en route |
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| Gear up leaving F.F. Wade International Airport |
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| The azure waters of Bermuda |
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| En route to the Bahamas |
Day 2: 10 March 2012: Hamilton, Bermuda - Nassau, Bahamas (802.9 nautical miles)
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| Landing at Nassau |
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| Flying over cruise ships in Nassau |
Day 3: 11 March 2012: Nassau, Bahamas - Georgetown, Grand Cayman (406.6 nautical miles)
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| On final approach to Runway 26, Owen Roberts International Airport, Grand Cayman Island |
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| On the ground at Owen Roberts International Airport, Grand Cayman Island |
Day 4: 12 March 2012: Georgetown, Grand Cayman - Kingston, Jamaica (272.4 nautical miles)
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| Departing Norman Manley International Airport, Kingston, Jamaica |
Day 5: 13 March 2012: Kingston, Jamaica - Cockburn Town, Turks and Caicos Islands (381.3 nautical miles)
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| Departing JAGS McCartney International Airport, Cockburn Town, Turks and Caicos Islands |
Day 6: 14 March 2012: Cockburn Town, Turks and Caicos Islands - Road Town, British Virgin Islands (413.6 nautical miles)
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| On final approach to Runway 7, Terrance B. Lettsome International Airport, Road Town, British Virgin Islands |
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| Parked on the refuelling pad at Terrance B. Lettsome International Airport |
Day 7: 15 March 2012: Road Town, British Virgin Islands - The Valley, Anguilla (85.7 nautical miles)
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| Descent into Clayton J. Lloyd (Wallblake) International Airport, The Valley, Anguilla |
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| Landing on Runway 10, Clayton J. Lloyd (Wallblake) International Airport, The Valley, Anguilla |
Day 8: 16 March 2012: The Valley, Anguilla - Basseterre, St. Kitts and Nevis (57.3 nautical miles)
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| Flying into Robert L. Bradshaw International Airport, Basseterre, St. Kitts and Nevis |
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| Volcanic mountains tower over Basseterre and its airport |
Day 9: 17 March 2012: Basseterre, St. Kitts and Nevis - St. John's, Antigua and Barbuda (54.0 nautical miles)
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| En route from St. Kitts and Nevis to Antigua and Barbuda |
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| Landing at V.C. Bird International Airport, St. John's, Antigua and Barbuda |
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| Parked at V.C. Bird International Airport |
Day 10: 18 March 2012: St. John's, Antigua and Barbuda - Vieux Fort, St. Lucia (209.5 nautical miles)
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| Flying over the volcanic island of Montserrat, en route to St. Lucia |
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| Taxiing to the gate at Hewanorra International Airport, Vieux Fort, St. Lucia |
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| Looking out the co-pilot's window during the taxi to Hewanorra International Airport gates |
Day 11: 19 March 2012: Vieux Fort, St. Lucia - Kingstown, St. Vincent (37.8 nautical miles)
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| Flying over St. Vincent |
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| Refuelling at E.T. Joshua Airport, Kingston, St. Vincent. The Grenadines can be seen in the distance. |
Day 12: 20 March 2012: Kingstown, St. Vincent - Bridgetown, Barbados (100.0 nautical miles)
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| Final approach to Runway 27, Grantley Adams International Airport, Barbados |
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| Flying low over Harrison Point, Barbados |
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| Coming in for a landing. The airport terminal is in the background |
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| Parked at the gate, Grantley Adams International Airport, Barbados |
Day 13: 21 March 2012: Bridgetown, Barbados - St. George's, Grenada (148.7 nautical miles)
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| Descent into Maurice Bishop International Airport, St. George's, Grenada |
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| Parked at the gate, cargo hatches open |
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| Flying over Trinidad |
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| Approaching Port-of-Spain, Trinidad |
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| Landing at Piarco International Airport, Port-of-Spain, Trinidad |
Day 15: 23 March 2012: Port-of-Spain, Trinidad - Georgetown, Guyana (305.9 nautical miles)
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| Flying over the Essequibo River delta en route to Georgetown, Guyana |
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| Final approach to Runway 6 at Cheddi Jagan International Airport, near Georgetown, Guyana |
Day 16: 24 March 2012: Georgetown, Guyana - RAF Ascension Island (2,763.2 nautical miles)
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| Awaiting takeoff clearance at RAF Station Ascension Island |
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| Wheels up departing RAF Station Ascension Island |
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| Cruising over the South Atlantic en route to the Falkland Islands |
Day 17: 25 March 2012: RAF Ascension Island - RAF Mount Pleasant, Falkland Islands (3,401.7 nautical miles)
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| Sunset over the South Atlantic, en route to the Falkland Islands |
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| Descending into RAF Mount Pleasant. The 705-metre high Mount Usborne in the background |
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| Final approach to Runway 10, RAF Mount Pleasant, Falkland Islands |
Day 18: 26 March 2012: RAF Mount Pleasant, Falkland Islands - Cape Town, South Africa (3,381.0 nautical miles)
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| Flying past the South Sandwich Islands, en route to Cape Town |
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| Cockpit view of a night landing at Cape Town, South Africa |
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| A low pass over the business district of Cape Town |
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| Flying over Cape Town |
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| Flypast of Cape Town's famous Table Mountain |
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| A low pass over downtown Cape Town |
Day 19: 27 March 2012: Cape Town, South Africa - Maseru, Lesotho (530.0 nautical miles)
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| Flying low over the African scrubland outside Maseru, Lesotho |
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| Landing on Runway 22 at Moshoeshoe International Airport, Maseru |
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| Refuelling next to a Beechcraft King Air 350, Moshoeshoe International |
Day 20: 28 March 2012: Maseru, Lesotho - Manzini, Swaziland (263.8 nautical miles)
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| Landing on Runway 25, Mestapha Airport, Manzini, Swaziland |
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| Parked at Mestapha Airport, Manzini, Swaziland |
Day 21: 29 March 2012: Manzini, Swaziland - Gaberone, Botswana (315.6 nautical miles)
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| Parked at Sir Seretse Khama Int'l Airport, Gaberone, Botswana |
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| On the tarmac, hatches open |
Day 22: 30 March 2012: Gaberone, Botswana - Windhoek, Namibia (481.1 nautical miles)
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| Cruising en route to Windhoek, Namibia |
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| Landing at Hosea Kutako International Airport, Windhoek, Namibia |
Day 23: 31 March 2012: Windhoek, Namibia - Lusaka, Zambia (755.8 nautical miles)
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| Flying over Victoria Falls on the Zambezi River, between Zambia and Zimbabwe, en route to Lusaka |
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| Descending onto Runway 10 at Kenneth Kaunda International Airport, Lusaka, Zambia |
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| Parked at the Gate |
Day 24: 1 April 2012: Lusaka, Zambia - Lilongwe, Malawi (324.4 nautical miles)
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| Flying over the Zambian veld, en route to Lilongwe, Malawi |
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| Landing at Kamuzu International Airport, Lilongwe, Malawi |
Day 25: 2 April 2012: Lilongwe, Malawi - Maputo, Mozambique (728.8 nautical miles)
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| Flying past the Chimanimani Mountains |
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| Parked at the gate, Maputo International Airport, Maputo, Mozambique |
Day 26: 3 April 2012: Maputo, Mozambique - Port Louis, Mauritius (1420.6 nautical miles)
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| Flying over downtown Maputo, Mozambique after departing the Maputo airport |
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| Cruising over the east coast of Madagascar, en route to Mauritius |
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| Sunset over the Indian Ocean while flying toward Port Louis, Mauritius |
Day 27: 4 April 2012: Port Louis, Mauritius - Victoria, Seychelles (952.7 nautical miles)
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| Preparing to depart Port Louis, Mauritius for the Seychelles |
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| Mahé, the largest of the Seychelles Islands, home to the capital, Victoria, and the main airport |
Day 28: 5 April 2012: Victoria, Seychelles - Dar es Salaam, Tanzania (982.6 nautical miles)
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| Awaiting permisson to take off from Seychelles International Airport |
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| Departing the Seychelles |
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| Parked at Dar es Salaam's Julius Nyerere International Airport |
Day 29: 10 April 2012: Dar es Salaam, Tanzania - Nairobi, Kenya (360.1 nautical miles)
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| Flying past Mount Kilimanjaro, Tanzania at 20,000 ft. |
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| Landing on Runway 6, Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, Nairobi, Kenya |
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| Baggage crews tend to the plane while parked in Nairobi. Mount Kenya is seen in the background |
Day 30: 11 April 2012: Nairobi, Kenya - Kampala, Uganda (280.5 nautical miles)
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| Cruising over Lake Victoria en route to Kampala, Uganda |
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| Parked on the tarmac at Entebbe International Airport, serving Uganda's capital, Kampala (46 miles away) |
Day 31: 12 April 2012: Kampala, Uganda - Yaoundé, Cameroon (1271.1 nautical miles)
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| Cruising over the Democratic Republic of the Congo, en route to Yaoundé |
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| Landing at Yaoundé Nsimalen International Airport, Cameroon |
Day 32: 13 April 2012: Yaoundé, Cameroon - Abuja, Nigeria (406.5 nautical miles)
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| En route to Abuja, Nigeria. Mount Cameroon is seen in the distance |
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| Landing at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, Nigeria |
Day 33: 14 April 2012: Abuja, Nigeria - Accra, Ghana (488.1 nautical miles)
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| Flying over the Ghanaian coast on the Gulf of Guinea |
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| Flying over Accra, capital of Ghana |
Day 34: 15 April 2012: Accra, Ghana - Freetown, Sierra Leone (795.5 nautical miles)
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| A view of the Sierra Leone River delta, as seen from the cockpit during the descent into Lungi International Airport, with the hilly capital, Freetown, beyond on the peninsula. |
Day 35: 16 April 2012: Freetown, Sierra Leone - Banjul, The Gambia (347.2 nautical miles)
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| Flying over the Bijagós Archipelago of Guinea-Bissau, en route to The Gambia |
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| Refuelling at Banjul International Airport, Banjul, The Gambia |
Day 36: 17 April 2012: Banjul, The Gambia - Gibraltar Air Base (1497.4 nautical miles)
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| Cruising over the Sahara Desert |
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| Approaching the Atlas Mountains in Morocco |
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| View of Gibraltar Air Base on approach to Runway 27 |
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| Parked at Gibraltar Air Base, the 1,398 foot tall Rock of Gibraltar in the background |
Day 37: 18 April 2012: Gibraltar Air Base - Belfast, Northern Ireland, UK (1111.1 nautical miles)
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| Cruising over the Andalusia region of Spain, en route to Belfast |
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| Flying low over ships in the port of Belfast, Northern Ireland |
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| Downtown Belfast, Northern Ireland |
Day 38: 19 April 2012: Belfast, Northern Ireland, UK - Glasgow, Scotland, UK (93.6 nautical miles)
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| Cruising over the Firth of Clyde en route to Glasgow, Scotland |
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| Flying over the Ayrshire region of Scotland, descending into Glasgow International Airport |
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| Parked at Glasgow International Airport |
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| Flying over the River Clyde in Glasgow, Scotland |
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| A view of the Glasgow Science Centre on the south bank of the River Clyde |
Day 39: 20 April 2012: Glasgow, Scotland, UK - London, England, UK (299.2 nautical miles)
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| Cruising over the Lake District in Northwest England, en route to London Heathrow |
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| Passing over the River Thames and central London. Tower Bridge, St. Paul's Cathedral, the Gherkin, and the Tower of London can be seen in the background |
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| Heading east over Whitehall, Parliament, and St. James's Park. The London Eye ferris wheel can also be seen. |
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| Cockpit view while on final approach to London Heathrow International Airport |
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| Landing on Runway 27R at Heathrow |
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| Jetway in place at Terminal 1, Heathrow |
Day 40: 21 April 2012: London, England, UK - Valletta, Malta (1135.9 nautical miles)
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| Taxiing to Runway 27R at Heathrow |
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| Departing Heathrow for a Diamond Jubilee flypast of central London |
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| Flying over Kensington Palace |
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| Imperial College London, with Royal Albert Hall in the background |
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| The famous Battersea Power Station |
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| The O2 Centre in east London |
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| The skyscrapers of Canary Wharf |
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| Tower Bridge and the Tower of London |
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| A low flypast of Windsor Castle |
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| Threading landmarks along the Thames: Westminster Palace on the left and the London Eye on the right |
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| St. Paul's Cathedral |
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| Whitehall, Westminster Palace, and Westminster Abbey at low altitude |
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| Flying east out of London, over the Port of Tilbury. The Queen Elizabeth II bridge is seen in the background |
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| Stunning cockpit view while flying over the Alps near Grenoble, France and Turin, Italy |
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| Flying at 17,000 feet over the Alps |
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| Landing at Malta International Airport |
Day 41: 22 April 2012: Valletta, Malta - Larnaca, Cyprus (936.5 nautical miles)
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| Cruising along the northern coast of Cyprus |
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| Flying parallel to the Kyrenia Mountain range along Cyprus's northern coast |
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| Parked at Cyprus's largest airport, Larnaca International, at sunset |
Day 42: 23 April 2012: Larnaca, Cyprus - Islamabad, Pakistan (1944.8 nautical miles)
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| Flying high over the Alborz mountain range in northern Iran en route to Islamabad, Pakistan |
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| Night landing on Runway 12 at Benazir Bhutto International Airport, Islamabad, Pakistan |
Day 43: 24 April 2012: Islamabad, Pakistan - Delhi, India (365.5 nautical miles)
Day 44: 25 April 2012: Delhi, India - Dhaka, Bangladesh (770.7 nautical miles)
Day 45: 26 April 2012: Dhaka, Bangladesh - Bombay, India (1017.9 nautical miles)
Day 46: 27 April 2012: Bombay, India - Colombo, Sri Lanka (823.2 nautical miles)
Day 47: 28 April 2012: Colombo, Sri Lanka - Malé, Maldives (420.7 nautical miles)
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| Departing Islamabad, Pakistan, with the Margalla Hills in the background |
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| Parked at the gate, Indira Ghandi International Airport, in a foggy Delhi, India |
Day 44: 25 April 2012: Delhi, India - Dhaka, Bangladesh (770.7 nautical miles)
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| A low pass over the Taj Mahal in Agra, India, with the Yamuna River beyond |
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| Cruising over the Ganges River in India's Bihar State |
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| Parked at a busy Shahjalah International Airport in Dhaka, Bangladesh |
Day 45: 26 April 2012: Dhaka, Bangladesh - Bombay, India (1017.9 nautical miles)
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| Flying over the Padma River while departing Dhaka, Bangladesh |
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| On final approach to Runway 14 at Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport, Bombay, India |
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| Touching down |
Day 46: 27 April 2012: Bombay, India - Colombo, Sri Lanka (823.2 nautical miles)
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| Flying south along the western coast of India en route to Sri Lanka |
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| Parked at Bandaranaike International Airport, Colombo, Sri Lanka |
Day 47: 28 April 2012: Colombo, Sri Lanka - Malé, Maldives (420.7 nautical miles)
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| A view of heavily-urbanised Malé Island, capital of the Maldives |
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| Landing at Malé International Airport, located on Hulhulé Island |
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| Parked at the gate, Malé International Airport. The skyline of the capital Malé is visible in the background |
Day 48: 29 April 2012: Malé, Maldives - Diego, Garcia, British Indian Ocean Territory (693.1 nautical miles)
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| Flying over the aquamarine waters of the Indian Ocean, en route to Diego Garcia |
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| Landing at Diego Garcia Airport in low cloud, fog, and rain |
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| Refuelling at Diego Garcia Airport in pouring rain |
Day 49: 30 April 2012: Diego, Garcia, British Indian Ocean Territory - Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (1,856.2 nautical miles)
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| Cruising over the Indian Ocean at dusk, en route to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia |
Day 50: 1 May 2012: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia - Singapore, Republic of Singapore (162.1 nautical miles)
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| Flying low over downtown Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The Petronas Towers and KL Tower are seen in the background |
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| The 1,017 foot tall, 55-story Menara Telekom tower, headquarters of Telekom Malaysia |
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| A view of the Singapore skyline on descent into Changi Airport |
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| Parked at the gate at Singapore's Changi International Airport |
Day 51: 2 May 2012: Singapore, Republic of Singapore - Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei (689.6 nautical miles)
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| Flying over National Stadium, Singapore |
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| Flying past downtown Singapore |
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| Cruising over Big Subi Island (Pulau Subi Besar) in the South China Sea, en route to Brunei |
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| Parked at the gate at Brunei Intl'l Airport, Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei |
Day 52: 3 May 2012: Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei - Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea (2,115.4 nautical miles)
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| Waiting for takeoff clearance while an A321 prepares to depart Brunei International Airport |
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| Flying over Sulawesi Island, Indonesia |
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| Sunset over the Molucca Sea, en route to Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea |
Day 53: 4 May 2012: Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea - Honiara, Solomon Islands (758.5 nautical miles)
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| Taxiing for takeoff from Port Moresby, New Guinea |
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| Descending into Honiara, Solomon Islands |
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| Parked at Honiara International Airport |
Day 54: 5 May 2012: Honiara, Solomon Islands - Port Vila, Vanuatu (692.1 nautical miles)
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| Flying past Makira Island in the Solomon Islands chain |
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| Cruising over the volcanic Epi Island, en route to Port Vila, Vanuatu |
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| Landing on Runway 29 at Bauerfield International Airport, Port Vila, Vanuatu |
Day 55: 7 May 2012: Port Vila, Vanuatu - Sydney, Australia (1,340.8 nautical miles)
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| Descending toward Runway 34L, Kingsford-Smith International Airport, Sydney, Australia |
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| The Sydney skyline as seen just before touching down at Kingsford-Smith International Airport |
Day 56: 8 May 2012: Sydney, Australia - Canberra, Australia (127.2 nautical miles)
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| Climbing out of Kingsford-Smith International Airport in Sydney |
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| Flying over Sydney Olympic Park. Seen here are The Dome (bottom left), Sydney Showground (bottom right), and ANZ Stadium (upper right) |
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| Flying low past the skyscrapers of downtown Sydney |
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| Downtown Sydney, including the iconic Opera House and Sydney Harbour Bridge |
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| Flying low over the Sydney Football Stadium (left) and Sydney Cricket Ground (left) |
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| Leaving Sydney, en route to the Australian capital, Canberra |
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| Cruising over the Blue Mountains National Park and Lake Burragorang |
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| Flying over Lake George during the approach to Canberra |
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| Cruising over Parliament House,Canberra |
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| Flypast of the Australian National War Memorial in Canberra |
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| Canberra's Black Mountain, with the 195.2 metre tall Black Mountain Tower seen at the bottom |
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| Flying over Lake Burley Griffin, with the National Carillon on the left, and the High Court of Australia and the National Gallery of Australia on the right |
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| The Manuka Oval, a 13,000+ seat stadium for cricket and football |
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| Another flypast over Lake Burley Griffin. The vertical water jet of the Captain James Cook Memorial is seen on the right. The water jet throws 6 tons of water up to 147 metres high |
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| Final approach to Runway 35 of Canberra International Airport |
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| Parked at the jetway |
Day 57: 9 May 2012: Canberra, Australia - Wellington, New Zealand (1,253.1 nautical miles)
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| En route to Wellington, New Zealand |
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| Sunset over the Tasman Sea |
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| A beautiful, moonlit night approaching New Zealand |
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| Parked at the jetway on a bright, moonlit night at Wellington International Airport |
Day 58: 10 May 2012: Wellington, New Zealand - Nuku'alofa, Tonga (1,308.4 nautical miles)
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| Departing Runway 34, Wellington International Airport |
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| A low flypast of downtown Wellington, New Zealand. Notable buildings include the Majestic Centre, BNZ Centre, and the Intercontinental Wellington Hotel |
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| Flying past the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa and Chaffers Marina, Wellington |
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| A view of Wellington Harbour and the Cook Strait beyond while climbing to cruising altitude |
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| Sunset in the South Pacific Ocean, en route to Nuku'alofa, Tonga |
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| Night landing at Fua'amotu International Airport, Nuku'alofa, Tonga |
Day 59: 11 May 2012: Nuku'alofa, Tonga - Funafuti, Tuvalu (830.5 nautical miles)
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| Climbing out of Nuku'alofa, Tonga |
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| Cruising over the French oversea collectivity of Wallis and Futuna Islands |
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| Parked at Funafuti International Airport in the tiny atoll of Tuvalu. |
Day 60: 12 May 2012: Funafuti, Tuvalu - Apia, Samoa (606.7 nautical miles)
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| Landing at Faleolo International Airport in Apia, Samoa |
Day 61: 13 May 2012: Apia, Samoa - Yaren, Nauru (1,482.1 nautical miles)
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| Taking off from Apia, Samoa |
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| Refuelling at Nauru International Airport after landing |
Day 62: 14 May 2012: Yaren, Nauru - South Tarawa, Kiribati (392.1 nautical miles)
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| Landing on Runway 09 at Bonriki International Airport, on the Kiribati atoll of Tarawa |
Day 63: 15 May 2012: South Tarawa, Kiribati - Belize City, Belize (via Honolulu, Hawaii) (5,985.1 nautical miles)
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| Climbing out of Tarawa bound for Honolulu, Hawaii |
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| Sunset over the Pacific Ocean while en route to Honolulu for a refuelling stop before continuing on to Belize City |
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| Cruising past Lake Chapala, Mexico's largest freshwater lake |
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| Parked at the gate at Philip S.W. Goldson International Airport, Belize City, Belize |
Day 64: 16 May 2012: Belize City, Belize - Ottawa, Canada (1,782.2 nautical miles)
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| Heading north along the Belizean coast |
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| Cruising north over Lake Ontario near Kingston, Ontario en route to Ottawa |
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| Passing low over downtown Ottawa |
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| A slow pass over Ottawa prior to landing |
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| A victory pass over Parliament Hill and downtown Ottawa |
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| Streetview of a low pass over Parliament Hill, marking a successful end to the Diamond Jubilee Commonwealth Air Tour |
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| Shortly after landing on Runway 32 at Ottawa Macdonald-Cartier International Airport |
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| Taxiing to the gate |
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| Parked at the gate after the end of a 64-day, 57,035 nautical mile global odyssey |
God Save the Queen!
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