The Citizen of the World inspires you to be a Rotarian of the World
Tuesday, January 4, 2022
By Kari Akin
As we enter into a new calendar year 2022, ask yourself this question: "What does it mean to be a Rotarian of the World?" Pilot Robert DeLaurentis embraces so many of these Rotarian values of world peace, oneness, and environmental awareness on his second circumnavigation flight from the North Pole to the South Pole (the two only places in the world in which peace has always existed) in his 1983 Turbine Commander 900 aircraft named "Citizen of the World." 

I hope to inspire you with the following story that embraces so many Rotarian values, specifically world peace, oneness, and environmental awareness.
Even in the pre-pandemic, people were divided more than ever in their political, religious, spiritual, and racial beliefs. There are only two places in the world in which peace has always existed: the North and South Poles.  Robert DeLaurentis, the “Zen Pilot”, set out to connect these two peace poles and everyone in between.  In 2019, DeLaurentis began his second circumnavigation from the North Pole to the South Pole in the “Citizen of the World,” a 1983 Turbine Commander 900 aircraft with the powerful global mission of “One Planet, One People, One Plane: Oneness for Humanity.” This trip is a real-time example of going after the seemingly impossible, not giving up while “Flying Thru Life” even through challenging times during a world-wide pandemic and making the dream of connecting our humanity through flight a reality. DeLaurentis travelled through 6 continents and 22 nations, asking residents “What does it mean to be a Citizen of the World?” It is apparent that the similarities between the people outweigh their differences.  People of the world want peace, safety for their families, financial stability, and happiness.  We are all global citizens and when we use our courage and compassion in our daily lives, we help end violence and strengthen peaceful relationships worldwide for the good of our collective humanity.  One planet, one people, one plane and oneness for humanity.  This epic adventure was completed on August 10, 2021 and has been turned into a documentary which will be released later this year. In addition to the human aspects of this expedition, DeLaurentis was the first pilot to utilize only biofuels above the poles. The Citizen of the World carried a Wafer Craft Spaceship for NASA as well as three STEM scientific experiments for NASA and the Scripps Institute of Oceanography.  Plastics have been detected on the ground and in the water globally, but not in the air. The “Citizen of the World” carried atmospheric testing materials for scientist, Dr. Dimitri to prove the presence of plastics/microfibers including in the poles.
I invite you to check out more about this expedition on www.PoleToPoleFlight.com