A world microlight champion says he still hopes to be the first to make a solo round-the-world flight after being forced down by Chinese warplanes.
Published:
24 June 2000 y., Saturday
The incident happened at about 0700 BST on Friday as Colin Bodill was flying from Hanoi, Vietnam, to Hong Kong during his attempt to fly 23,000 miles around the globe within 90 days.
He was blown 100 miles off course into what appeared to be a military area and Chinese Air Force warplanes were scrambled to order him to land.
Mr Bodill, 49, of Nottingham, is in police custody in Zhanjiang, in the Guangdong province, but he is not under arrest. A Foreign Office spokesman said staff at the British Embassy in Beijing and the Consulate-General in Zhanjiang were working with the Chinese authorities to secure his release.
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