Long Beach, CA—Don Temple, an extremely successful Long Beach, California businessman and generous philanthropist, was a full participant in a historic aviation event that saw 12 small planes circumnavigate, with 22 aviators, while crossing the entire landmass of Russia in July 1992, only seven months after the final collapse of the Soviet Union in December 1991. Temple flew in his twin-engine Cessna 421 Golden Eagle, named The Ultimate Trip, with Edwin 'Sully' Sullens, an accomplished military test pilot, and Bob Leavelle, a banker from Huntington Beach.
Looking for a way to give back for all his success, Don Temple ended up offering a full-ride education scholarship, in the United States, to one of the official World Flight translators, a 16-year girl named Natasha. Well placed to take advantage of such an opportunity, this timely gift of assistance changed her life and she is a success in the financial industry in the U.S. Natasha readily admits that Temple, based on how bad it got in Moscow during the 1990s, probably saved her life, changed it completely that's for sure.
Organized from March 1991 to July 1992, it was a major miracle the event ever took place. Temple installed new engines and long range fuel tanks for the 18,000 mile journey left from Santa Monica Airport on July 3, 1992 and returned three weeks later. A new book, Round the World & Across Russia in 21 Days, 30 Years Later: 12 Planes & 22 Aviators Thru 11 Countries When the Soviet Union Fell & Russia Returned, by Michael B. Butler, who documented the event, offers an extremely detailed look at a complex and exciting adventure during a time when the world was rapidly changing.
Once in Russia, after crossing the U.S., the North Atlantic and flying from London to Helsinki, they were guests of the Vice President of Russia, Alexander Rutskoi, Afghan war hero who stood with Yeltsin in August 1991 when Soviet hard-liners tried to overthrow Gorbachev and turn about the reforms of the previous five years. During their days in Moscow the participants got to tour the Kremlin and Star City, where the previously super-secret Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center was located.
Considering how different our world is from July 1992, this book gives the reader a look at many different aspects of what was going in July 1992 and in the decades to follow. With Russia at war with Urkraine and NATO for over three years, there is no doubt the World Flight Across Russia snuck through a rare time in history and accomplished something extremely unique.
Available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble and in audio book form on Google Play, the author constructed the book using seven major pilot journals, five ancillary journals, 25 hours of video tape, interviews and what he recalled. Details and color slide shows can be found at www.MichaelButlerBooks.com.
Official Round the World & Across Russia in 21 Days Book Trailer
Media Interviews: For review copies or interviews please contact Eric Blair Enterprises at MichaelButlerBooks@pm.me or 213-534-7292.