Mission to Moscow : San Juan Lad Hopes to Meet Gorbachev on Way Round World

In his fourth-grade classes at St. Margaret’s School in San Juan Capistrano, Tony Aliengena doodles pictures of airplanes and daydreams of far-away places.

When the Episcopal school lets out for the summer, the doodles and daydreams will become real. Beginning June 5, Tony is set to fly around the world in his father’s single-engine plane.

Over 6 weeks, the 10-year-old plans to pilot the Cessna 210 over the United States, across the North Atlantic, over Northern Europe and--in the highlight of the journey--across the entire width of the Soviet Union.

Soviet officials in early March granted permission for Tony, his family and a small entourage to fly across their country--the first time that they have provided such aerial access to foreigners.

Hopes to Meet With Gorbachev

After making 14 stops in the Soviet Union--including Moscow, where he hopes to meet with Soviet President Mikhail S. Gorbachev--Tony intends to cross the Bering Strait and re-enter the United States through Alaska. From there, Tony and his entourage plan to follow the Pacific coast back to Orange County’s John Wayne Airport, his point of departure.

The larger goal of the global adventure is to enhance peaceful relations between the superpowers, said Tony’s father, Gary Aliengena, 39, a certified pilot who helped teach his son to fly.

Dubbed “Friendship Flight ‘89,” Tony’s flight will be carrying letters from American schoolchildren to their counterparts in the Soviet Union, as well as a “Friendship Scroll” signed by U.S. youngsters during the American leg of the journey.

“We want to make (the scroll) big,” Tony’s father said at his home. “We want a million signatures.”

After delivering these things to Gorbachev, Tony intends to return home with friendship letters from Soviet children and a friendship scroll signed by youngsters during stops in that country. Tony hopes to deliver those good-will messages to President Bush.

A shy, soft-spoken youngster, Tony does not like to talk about himself. Aside from his flying talent, there is little about Tony that distinguishes him from other children his age.

He plays Little League baseball. He plays football. And he likes building models and skateboarding. With his family, Tony also enjoys fishing, hunting and skiing trips. In the winter, the family spends many weekends at their snowy cabin in the mountains of southern Utah.

But it is flying that sets Tony apart. He began learning to fly at age 4 from his father’s lap. Tony’s first aviation record was to become the youngest person to fly solo in an aircraft. He did that on March 13, 1988, by successfully piloting an ultralight aircraft.

Tony’s next feat was to fly across the United States and break a record set by 10-year-old Eric Fiederer. Tony accomplished that goal in April, 1988, after flying from Orange County to Bedford, Mass. He broke another record by flying back, becoming the youngest pilot to traverse the country in both directions.

The very day that he returned home from that adventure, Tony announced that he wanted to fly round the world.

Several Bouts With Airsickness

Aliengena, a real estate investor and longtime flying enthusiast, remembers shaking his head in doubt. After all, several bouts with airsickness had plagued Tony on his bicoastal U.S. flight, and he was only minimally trained in instrument flying, a necessity for a round-the-world flight through varying weather patterns.

But Aliengena did not say no. Instead, he presented this challenge to the youngster: “I said that if he could figure out a real good project, then we would support him.”

Tony did. In May, he penned a letter to Gorbachev, proposing the idea of a friendship flight.

“I will try to learn some Russian words, so I can talk to you if I meet you,” Tony said in the letter.

To show support for his son’s letter, Aliengena sent one of his own to the Soviet leader. In the letter, he implored Gorbachev to approve the trip, in part because “I feel that the children of today are our leaders of tomorrow, and that if we can help bring the leaders of tomorrow closer today, we have accomplished a great deal.”

Tony heard back from his letter nearly 6 months later, when the Foundation for Social Inventions--an arm of the Soviet newspaper Pravda--let the Aliengena family know that the Soviet Union supports the proposal.

“This project is of great interest and importance for us,” a letter from the Soviet foundation said.

Permission for Soviet Flight

In January, an exhilarated Aliengena flew to Moscow to try working out details for the trip. Aliengena, most importantly, wanted to obtain permission to fly across the entire country, not just to Moscow, as the letter had stated. He noted that because the Cessna has a flight range of just 1,500 miles, it would be difficult--if not impossible--to try crossing the Pacific.

The only other way to fly round the world, he added, is to go through the Soviet Union.

After encountering some bureaucratic delays, Aliengena finally met with Victor Shumsky, Soviet head of European-U.S. relations. In fluent English, Shumsky said: “We know who you are and we know about your son. You have our permission to proceed with this project.”

Aliengena flew home with the good news, proudly clutching a front-page article about him and his son that was published in Pravda during his visit. The article heaped praise on Tony, saying:

Article in Pravda

“Tony wants to bring letters from American children . . . many letters of friendship and trust, hope and concern. But, what is most important, he wants to bring greetings from a generation of Americans who will enter life in America tomorrow. It is for them that the summit meetings (between Presidents Reagan and Gorbachev) were held. . . . All of that is just the beginning for them. They will continue to do what we are doing now for the two countries.”

One of the Soviet officials who met with Aliengena went home to his 10-year-old son that night to say that he had met the father of “the famous” Tony Aliengena, Aliengena said.

When he heard of the Soviet boy’s excited reaction, Aliengena invited him to accompany Tony on the trip. The boy, Muscovite Roma Tcheremnykh, gladly accepted, and the two have since become pen pals.

Back in San Juan Capistrano, Aliengena rallied the entire family to begin organizing for the trip.

11 People in Support Crew

His wife, Susan, was placed in charge of obtaining Soviet visas for the Aliengena family and for an entourage of press and friends who will fly in a separate, twin-engine plane. In all, there will be 11 people along with Tony for the flight.

Their daughter, Alaina, 9, was put in charge of the friendship letters and scroll, collecting letters and signatures so she can help Tony present them to Gorbachev.

A family friend, Guy Murrel, a public relations executive, volunteered to help with publicity. Murrel soon began handling so many facets of the trip that Aliengena made him flight coordinator. As part of that job, Murrel runs “Friendship Flight ‘89,” a nonprofit organization set up in El Toro to help collect donations for the flight.

The flights of Tony’s plane and the twin-engine chase plane will cost an estimated $150,000. The Soviet government has already agreed to pay half; Aliengena is raising donations to help pay for the rest.

Anticipating Situations

With most of the details of the trip left to others, Aliengena and his son have time to concentrate on basics: namely, making sure that Tony can handle the plane through a wide variety of situations. To help do that, they practice at Oceanside Airport, where Aliengena’s Cessna is parked, at least twice a week.

Watching during one recent session was Ed Fernett, Tony’s former flight instructor, who will accompany the Friendship Flight as an observer for the National Aeronautics Assn., which verifies world records.

“It’s gonna be quite an adventure,” said Fernett, who also accompanied Tony on his cross-country flight. “He’s got his work cut out for him. But it’s do-able. He’s one fine pilot. He has some experience that some pilots don’t get for years.”

During the 1 1/2-hour practice flight, Aliengena was unrelenting as an instructor, critiquing Tony’s every move. Though this clearly rankled the young pilot--as was expressed in good-natured banter back and forth--Aliengena said it was necessary to keep Tony from becoming dangerously overconfident.

Lots of Training Sessions

At one point, Tony complained that his father’s instructions contributed to one fairly rough landing.

“If you wouldn’t talk to me, I could do it,” Tony said.

“I get nervous,” his father replied good-naturedly.

“Dad, can you just be quiet for one landing?” the boy asked.

“When you’re 16, I won’t talk,” father answered.

Father and son stopped bickering long enough to enjoy a sunset from their aerial vantage point.

“I wish we were going to Mexico fishing, Dad,” Tony said softly as the two drank in the magnificent sight.

“Yeah, well, we just don’t have the time right now,” his father answered.

How to Send Pen Pal Letter to Soviet Child

Any child wishing to send a pen pal letter to a child in the Soviet Union can mail it to Tony Aliengena’s school, and he will deliver it during his round-the-world flight.

Each letter should be sent with a return address on the envelope and include a self-addressed envelope to simplify the return process. The letters should be limited to one page and can include a photo.

To send a pen pal letter, first write on the envelope whether it is intended for a boy or a girl and the preferred age of the recipient.

Then write: Friendship Flight ‘89, St. Margaret’s School Episcopal, 31641 La Novia Ave., San Juan Capistrano 92675. The letters will not be opened.

Questions, comments or donations can be sent to: Friendship Flight ‘89, Children’s Center for International Relations, 22691 Lambert St., Suite 503, El Toro 92630.

This nonprofit organization has been established to help pay for the flight.

FRIENDSHIP FLIGHT 1989 ITINERARY Planes: a single-engine Cessna Turbo 210 (piloted by the boy); and a twin-engine Piper Seneca (piloted by Bob Olsen, owner of an air flight services company in Oceanside.

Cruising speed: 189 m.p.h.

Altitude: 13,500 feet

Distance traveled: 17,000 miles.

Fuel expended: 2,211 gallons for the single-engine plane; 4,410 for the twin-engine.

Flying time: Approximately 3 1/2 hours per day.

Name of Russian pen pal accompanying Tony: Roma Tcheremnykh