NEW YORK, November 13. /TASS/. A US public organization BRAVO 369 Flight Foundation is planning a round-the-world air route along with their Russian partners via the airspace of Russia, Europe, the Atlantic and the US to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the ending of World War 2, the organization’s president Jeff Geer informed on Tuesday.
In June 2020, the ALSIB-2020 (Alaska-Siberia 2020) air route will set off in Great Falls, Montana. The round-the-world route will cover the US, Canada, Alaska, Russia, the UK, the Atlantic, ending in the US in August.
"We selected this route to draw attention to this little-known aspect of World War 2 history," Jeff Geer noted in a statement. "Few people know that the United States and the former Soviet Union were once Allies. In fact, even fewer know that between 1942 and 1945, nearly 8,000 military aircraft were flown from the United States to Russia using the ALSIB air route. This program played a pivotal role in the war, yet its full and comprehensive story remains to be told."
"Even though the geopolitical landscape is much different than it was 75 years ago, citizen diplomacy and projects like this are embraced by both the people and governments of our countries. Perhaps, examples such as this can lead to improved diplomatic relations," Geer added.
In late October, Russian Ambassador to the US Anatoly Antonov expressed support for the ALSIB-2020 project in a letter addressed to Jeff Geer, noting its contribution to maintaining joint historical and cultural legacy of both countries.