Available on Amazon & Barnes & Noble.com.
For review copies or media interviews contact Michael B. Butler
at
MichaelButlerBooks@pm.me or 213-534-7292

Book cover of 'Round the World & Across Russia in 21 Days, 30 Years Later: 12 Planes & 22 Aviators Thru 11 Countries When the Soviet Union Fell & Russia Returned.'

Michael Butler’s latest book, following Without Redemption in 2022, is a retelling of a World Flight Across Russia he documented in July 1992, and first wrote about in a book published by Wind Canyon Books in 1998. The book features 280 photographs and offers a snapshot of immediate post Soviet Russia within a daring excursion. All the photos, and more, can be seen below in slide show format. 
Round the World & Across Russia in 21 Days, 30 Years Later: 12 Planes & 22 Aviators Thru 11 Countries When the Soviet Union Fell and Russia Returned, is more extensive with added pilot journals and historical context spanning three decades of tumultuous events. In a reversal of the previous publication, this book is told from my point of view as documentarian and keeping the story alive to be recast in new light. Additionally, my education in Russian culture and history continued for decades after my baptism of fire going from Moscow and across Siberia during a singular three week World Flight. 
This unique aviation adventure took place in the wake of the dramatic and sudden collapse of the Soviet Union, an event which unfolded during many months in midst of trying to organize this complex aviation adventure. The World Flight Across Russia was the idea of Marcel Large, President of Raid Intl. and organizer of many car, motorcycle and air rallies for decades prior to our event.
Hatched after taking the first private group of general aviation aircraft into the Soviet Union in early 1991, he wanted it to go beyond just flying around the world across Soviet Union. Designed as a annual event, with a different group flying a different route across the Soviet Union each summer, it ended up being across Russia and only took place that one honeymoon summer right after the collapse in July 1992. 
A fascinating part of the story was Marcel, his wife Michelle, Eric Vercesi and Paul Hollenbeck dealing with Soviet and then Russian authorities with no one truly knowing who could answer the most pressing questions at hand. 
Moscow, January 1992: Three men and one woman were in Moscow weeks after the Soviet Union voted itself out of business. They are trying or organize a World Flight Across Russia. Confusion reigns supreme six months after hard-liners tried to reverse all the gains made during Gorbachev’s perestroika reforms, when Boris Yeltsin and the people made their famous stand for freedom in August 1991. Odds were stacked against their success as the world was still reeling from one amazing and startling fact: The Cold War had just ended!
The ‘1st Annual Around the World Air Rally’ was the first western or civilian group of general aviation aircraft to circumnavigate while crossing the entire landmass of Russia, but that is only part of the story. Our group was under protection of one of the Russian government highest officials, Vice President Rutskoi, in an effort to create updated cultural and business ties between old enemies and, hopefully, new friends. Five days in Moscow and across Siberia we carried the highest authority in our back pocket… but sometimes in some places that was not enough…
For Round the World & Across Russia in 21 Days, 30 Years Later seven major pilot journals, 25 hours of video tape, interviews, ancillary journals, hundreds of photographs and extensive historical research went into this new version of a multi-faceted adventure when all the world had changed so dramatically so fast. Never again would the conditions exist for this type of aviation excursion, not a year later, not two years later and definitely not now with war raging in Ukraine with a resurgent Russia. A window so small and so special that it places our curious and amazing journey into aviation folklore.
Book Trailer for ‘Round the World & Across Russia in 21 Days, 30 Years Later.’

Changing of the Guard at Lenin's Tomb in Red Square in July 1992 during the Round the World & Across Russia flight, documented in Michael B. Butler's new book.

World Flight Mechanic Doug McDaniel flying a Yak-52 above Tushino Airfield in Northwest Moscow on July 12, 1992, our first day in Moscow during the World Flight Over Russia.

 

 

 

 

King Air low level flight in Siberia en route to Magadan, right above Japan, in the Khabaorvsk region. One of three low level King Air flights Captain Mark Eaton took during World Flight Over Russia.

 

 

 

 

 


The World Flight IL-76T Gas Wagon,hauling 10,000 gallons of
British Petroleum Avgas from Moscow across Siberia that 
was hand pumped into each aircraft at every stop. 


Black Market fuel operation as jet fuel is pumped directly from IL-76T,
through the engine,
as Mark fills the King Air and enjoys a beer in Yaktusk. 


Below are a series of color Slider Shows from
Round the World & Across Russia in 21 Days, 30 Years Later


Flight Crews Ready for Departure from Santa Monica Airport
Group Shot for Cover 200 4x6
wf006
wf007
wf007a
wf012
wf013
wf014
wf015
wf016
wf017
wf018
wf019
wf020
wf021
wf022
Slide
previous arrow
next arrow


King Air Siberian Low Level Flight in Khabaraovsk en route to Magadan
wf276
wf254
wf255
wf256
wf257
wf258
wf259
wf260
wf261
wf262
wf263
wf264
wf265
wf266
wf267
wf268
wf269
wf270
wf271
wf272
wf273
wf274
wf275
wf276
wf277
wf279
previous arrow
next arrow

Goose Bay, Canada to Greenland to Iceland
wf058
wf046
wf047
wf048
wf049
wf050
wf050a
wf051
wf052
wf053
wf054
wf055
wf056
wf057
wf058
wf059
wf060
wf061
wf062
wf063
wf064
wf065
wf066
wf067
previous arrow
next arrow

Helsinki to Moscow, July 11 & 12, 1992
wf115
wf087
wf088
wf089
wf090
wf091
wf092
wf093
wf094
wf112
wf113
wf114
wf116
wf117
wf118
wf119
wf120
wf121
wf121a
wf122
wf123
wf124
wf124a
wf125
wf126
wf126a
previous arrow
next arrow

Moscow, Red Square, Kremlin, Cathedral Square
wf127
wf128
wf129
wf130
wf131
wf132
wf132a
wf133
wf134
wf135
wf136
wf137
wf138
wf139
wf140
wf141
wf142
wf143
wf144
wf145
wf146
wf147
wf147a
wf148
wf148a
previous arrow
next arrow

City Council Chambers & Star City Cosmonaut Training Center
wf157
wf149
wf150
wf151
wf152
wf153
wf154
wf155
wf156
wf158
wf159
wf160
wf161
wf162
wf163
wf164
previous arrow
next arrow

Tushino Air Show on Final Day in Moscow
wf166
wf165
wf167
wf168
wf169
wf170
wf171
wf172
wf173
wf174
wf175
wf176
previous arrow
next arrow

Moscow to Syktyvkar to Novosibirsk in Siberia
wf178
wf179
wf180
wf181
wf181a
wf182
wf183
wf184
wf185
wf186
wf187
wf188
wf189
wf190
wf191
wf192
wf193
wf194
wf195
wf196
wf197
wf198
wf199
wf200
previous arrow
next arrow

Touring Irkutsk and Lake Baikal
wf202
wf203
wf204
wf205
wf206
wf207
wf208
wf209
wf210
wf211
wf212
wf213
wf214
wf215
wf216
wf217
wf218
wf219
wf220
wf204
previous arrow
next arrow

Irkutsk to Bratsk to Yakutsk, Deeper in Siberia
wf223
wf222
wf224
wf225
wf226
wf227
wf228
wf229
wf230
wf231
wf232
wf233
wf234
wf235
wf236
wf237
wf238
wf239
wf240
wf241
wf242
wf242a
wf243
wf244
wf245
wf246
wf247
wf248
wf249
wf250
previous arrow
next arrow

Landing at Anydyr, Heavily Secret Russian Air Force Base & ICBM Nuclear Launch Site
wf284
wf285
wf286
wf287
wf288
wf289
wf290
wf291
wf292
previous arrow
next arrow

Homecoming to Santa Monica Airport, 21 Days Later
wf294
wf296
wf296a
wf297
wf298
wf299
wf300
wf301
wf302
wf303
wf303a
wf304
wf304a
wf305
wf306
wf307
wf308
wf309
wf310
wf311
wf312
wf313
wf313a
previous arrow
next arrow

Mace Pinchal Celebrates a successful World Flight

Bob Leavelle holds his granddaughter