Norman Surplus takes off from the coastal town of Larne, Northern Ireland, Monday to make the first round-the-world trip in a customized rotorcraft known as an autogyro. Surplus kicked off his 27,000 mile (43,000 kilometer) circumnavigation in a small yellow, open cockpit craft which is expected to take him through 26 countries, including France, Italy, Greece, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Myanmar, Taiwan, Japan, the United States and Canada. The attempt is to achieve a FAI “First Absolute World Record” and is expected to take approximately 115 days. An autogyro is a helicopter-like craft equipped with a rotor and a propeller.
