SANTIAGO, Chile (AP) -- In their second attempt, two grandmothers who want to be the first women to cross the Atlantic Ocean in a single-engine plane on Wednesday succeeded in crossing the Andes, the first major hurdle in their adventure.
The Chilean Civilian Aeronautics Agency confirmed the successful crossing by Chilean sociologist Maria Eliana Christen, 64, and flight instructor Madeleine Dupont, a 63-year-old German residing in Chile. The women said that as far as they knew, no woman has completed such a flight before.
They had abandoned a first attempt the day before because of bad weather.
Three hours after their departure in a colorful ceremony headed by Defense Minister Michelle Bachelet, the grandmothers quietly landed back at a small airport near Santiago.
Christen's husband, Valentin Daniels, explained that the women considered that weather conditions, especially strong winds, were risky for their small Beechcraft Bonanza to fly over the Andes.
"This is the decision we had hoped for from our wives," Daniels told radio Cooperativa of Santiago.
The grandmothers, whose children and grandchildren are anxiously watching their journey, hope to cross the Atlantic in 10 or 11 hours.
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The Chilean Civilian Aeronautics Agency confirmed the successful crossing by Chilean sociologist Maria Eliana Christen, 64, and flight instructor Madeleine Dupont, a 63-year-old German residing in Chile. The women said that as far as they knew, no woman has completed such a flight before.
They had abandoned a first attempt the day before because of bad weather.
Three hours after their departure in a colorful ceremony headed by Defense Minister Michelle Bachelet, the grandmothers quietly landed back at a small airport near Santiago.
Christen's husband, Valentin Daniels, explained that the women considered that weather conditions, especially strong winds, were risky for their small Beechcraft Bonanza to fly over the Andes.
"This is the decision we had hoped for from our wives," Daniels told radio Cooperativa of Santiago.
The grandmothers, whose children and grandchildren are anxiously watching their journey, hope to cross the Atlantic in 10 or 11 hours.
Story from CNN
