![\"Fly](\"https:\/\/sduptownnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/Robert-DeLaurentis-Pilot-489x720.png\")
Now he will embark on his biggest expedition yet \u2014 traveling to the ends of the earth, from the South Pole to the North Pole. After his initial departure from San Diego, he will fly southeast through Texas, Central and South America to the South Pole, then up through Africa and Europe to the North Pole before turning back home.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt just seemed like the natural thing to do next,\u201d DeLaurentis said, referring to his upcoming adventure.<\/p>\n
DeLaurentis named his expedition \u201cCitizen of the World\u201d after the Gulfstream Turbine Commander 900 plane he will pilot on the mission. It is a 90-day journey, with a mission of connecting humanity from all over the globe.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe South Pole and the North Pole are the two places on the planet where peace exists, and the flight will connect the two \u2014 I like to say, \u2018on a mission of global peace,\u2019\u201d he said, adding that the plane is \u201ca global billboard for the causes we\u2019re trying to promote.\u201d<\/p>\n
For this trip, DeLaurentis has partnered with United Nations Association of the United States of America-San Diego (UNA-USA San Diego), a nonprofit affiliated with the United Nations (UN). After meeting Joan Augsburger, the manager of the UN Building International Gift Shop in Balboa Park, DeLaurentis was connected to the executive director of UNA-USA\u2019s San Diego chapter, Bettina Hausmann.<\/p>\n
DeLaurentis will make various stops to meet with people at UNA regional offices around the world, coordinated by Hausmann. He plans to conduct interviews with these individuals about what it means to them to be a \u201cCitizen of the World.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOne people. One planet. One plane,\u201d is the overarching concept driving the trip. DeLaurentis noted that he first encountered the philosophy of \u201coneness\u201d when completing his graduate studies in Spiritual Psychology, a three-year study from University of Santa Monica.<\/p>\n
Once he became a pilot and began his global travels, he encountered many diverse individuals and the concept of \u201coneness\u201d stuck with him.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn this world in this day in age, the world is divided. Mostly with politics, it seems, but there\u2019s color of people, their race, their socioeconomic class,\u201d he said. \u201cBut what I found on my first trip is that there are more similarities than differences amongst people. Everybody basically wanted peace, safety, health for their family, financial security, and the pursuit of joy and happiness.\u201d<\/p>\n
In addition to his work with UNA-USA San Diego, he is also supporting efforts of UC Santa Barbara (UCSB) and National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). DeLaurentis will have the Wafer Scale spacecraft experiment onboard, designed by scientists at UCSB and funded by NASA, which is a small circuit board approximately the size of a hand.<\/p>\n
It consists of several small \u201cspacecraft\u201d that are prototypes for the NASA Starlight program. Fitted with sensors, they automatically record data, take pictures and measure elements such as altitude and speed.<\/p>\n \u201cEach spacecraft will have a GPS, optical communications devices to interact with each other, ultra-low power radio (optional), inertial navigation, temperature and optical imaging sensors,\u201d according to a statement from UCSB scientists, which can be found on DeLaurentis\u2019 website.<\/p>\n The ambitious journey has a high price tag of approximately $600,000 to $1 million \u2014 funded with the help more than 70 sponsors \u2014 due to the extensive airplane modifications that he and his team have had to make in order to ensure the plane can travel the distance.<\/p>\n \u201cTaking a plane to its absolute limits \u2014 and yourself \u2014 and going after some records is fun,\u201d DeLaurentis said.<\/p>\n Lack of navigation information, the threat of single pilot fatigue, and flying in some of the worst weather in the world are also difficulties DeLaurentis has had to prepare for. Most recently, he visited Connecticut to complete an open ocean survival training in case of a water crash.<\/p>\n Despite his preparation and faith, DeLaurentis is not facing this journey without nerves or anxieties. But rather than run from the fear, he chooses to \u201clean into it.\u201d<\/p>\n In fact, one of the defining moments of his aviation career so far was rooted in fear \u2014 his brush with death due to an engine failure in a single-engine plane over the Strait of Malacca, which occurred during his \u201cSpirit of San Diego\u201d trip around the globe back in 2015. To survive the incident, he had to fly with a broken engine and complete an emergency landing.<\/p>\n \u201cAt first it was tragic and scary and kind of primal, but it really changed my life,\u201d DeLaurentis said. \u201cNow [with] that experience I learned so much. At first, I thought \u2018Hey, this plane is about to take my life,\u2019 but then I came to realize the plane saved my life.<\/p>\n \u201cEven though that on the surface it would appear to be a tragic moment, it really set my life in motion in a lot of ways \u2014 about giving back, trying to improve the safety and technology of flying, sharing the passion and inspiring people to go after the things that may have thought were impossible,\u201d he continued.<\/p>\n This persistence to fly is what keeps him propelling forward \u2014 even in the wake of numerous threats and obstacles.<\/p>\n Though the \u201cCitizen of the World\u201d is a solo trip, DeLaurentis has a nine-person team helping him with preparations, and a few co-pilots who will join him on legs of the trip.<\/p>\n During the year-and-a-half-long preparation process, DeLaurentis encountered many individuals who lent a hand, asking little to nothing from him. A fellow pilot gifted him navigation charts for free; many mechanics offered services pro bono; and an artist insisted to illustrate a children\u2019s book named \u201cThe Little Plane That Could\u201d without pay, telling DeLaurentis he was \u201cdoing this for the world.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s really remarkable. The funny thing is it\u2019s not really wealthy people [donating], these are just regular people who are giving,\u201d DeLaurentis said.<\/p>\n DeLaurentis hopes that in return, he can help connect humanity around the globe and inspire them to do good \u2014 for themselves and for others.<\/p>\n \u201cPilots and people can be ambassadors to whatever causes they support \u2026 I think everybody has an opportunity to do something positive,\u201d he said. \u201cYou don\u2019t have to be rich \u2014 you can just want to do good and help out in some minor way, but it could be the missing piece that matters.\u201d<\/p>\n In addition to his pilot title, DeLaurentis wears many other hats including speaker, businessman, blogger and author. He has written two books \u2014 \u201cFlying through Life\u201d and \u201cSpirit of San Diego\u201d \u2014 and hopes to turn this next flying expedition into a third. He may also release a documentary film using footage he will record up in the air and during the UN interviews.<\/p>\n Though he is a \u201cCitizen of the World,\u201d DeLaurentis still values his connection to Uptown and his nearly three-decade residency, previously living in Golden Hill and South Park. He noted that his inspiration often sparks from morning walks through Balboa Park.<\/p>\n It\u2019s also no surprise that local aviation icon Charles Lindberg has influenced his path, as DeLaurentis lives in the same Bankers Hill neighborhood and even named his \u201cSpirit of San Diego\u201d plane after Lindberg\u2019s \u201cSpirit of St. Louis.\u201d And if things go according to plan, Lindberg\u2019s great grandson Eric may accompany DeLaurentis on the last leg of the journey home to San Diego.<\/p>\n Through this trip \u2014 which has been completed by a very short list of pilots \u2014 DeLaurentis hopes he can break records as well as inspire others to follow their dreams.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019d like for the people who don\u2019t think they can\u2019t do something to go out and at least try,\u201d he said. \u201cSome of the sponsors said [to me], \u2018Well what happens if you crash? Our name is on the side of your plane.\u2019 And my response to that is, \u2018Well, at least I tried.\u2019 And that\u2019s better than not doing anything.\u201d<\/p>\n To learn more about DeLaurentis and his mission, visit flyingthrulife.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n![\"Fly](\"https:\/\/sduptownnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/Image3.jpg\")