EAA AirVenture has long been a stopping ground for Earthrounders, and this year is no exception as South Africans Mike Blyth and James Pittman include an Oshkosh stop on their month-long flight around the world scheduled to begin later this week.

Blyth and Pittman, owners of The Airplane Factory in Gauteng, South Africa, will fly their modified D6 Sling light-sport aircraft (LSA) from Johannesburg to Oshkosh, where they'll stay for six days. They plan to depart South Africa on Friday, July 17.

The D6 Sling wings were modified to carry 118 gallons of fuel in each to allow sustained flight over long stretches. One of their longest stretches will be from Conakry, Guinea, to Belem, Brazil, nearly 2,200 nautical miles.

Some of the destinations along the way include Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; Colombo, Sri Lanka; Belem, Brazil; and Los, Angeles, California.

After AirVenture, they will continue their journey westward around the world before returning to Johannesburg by August 22. To find out more on Blyth's and Pittman's expedition and to track their story visit www.airplanefactory.co.za/world/press.asp.