https://en.bharatpedia.org/w/index.php?action=history&feed=atom&title=Ravinder_BansalRavinder Bansal - Revision history2026-08-28T15:22:05ZRevision history for this page on the wikiMediaWiki 1.43.6https://en.bharatpedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ravinder_Bansal&diff=530011&oldid=prevHildaCorley2963: put up first post and citations2026-03-09T02:13:20Z<p>put up first post and citations</p>
<p><b>New page</b></p><div>{{short description|First person of Indian origin to fly solo around the world in a single engine plane}}<br />
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2023}}<br />
{{Use Indian English|date=March 2023}}<br />
{{Infobox aviator<br />
| name = Ravinder Bansal<br />
| native_name = <br />
| native_name_lang = <br />
| other_names = <br />
| image = Ravinder Bansal Plane.png<br />
| caption = <br />
| birth_name = <br />
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1949|2|26}}<br />
| birth_place = [[Ambala, India]]<br />
| death_date = <!-- {{Death date and age|YYYY|MM|DD|YYYY|MM|DD}} (death date then birth date) --><br />
| death_place = <br />
| occupation = Entrepreneur and aviator<br />
| years_active = <br />
| known_for = First person of Indian origin to fly solo around the world in a single engine plane.<br />
| first_flight_date = <br />
| famous_flights = Solo Global Circumnavigation 4 July – 20 August 2017<br />
| notable_works = <br />
| website = <br />
| spouse = Pratibha Bansal<br />
| awards = {{Awards|award=Upstate New York Entrepreneur of the Year|year=1993 |title= |role= |name= }}{{Awards|award=Walter P. Cooke Award|year=2009 |title= |role= |name= }}{{Awards|award=State University of New York Honorary Doctorate of Science|year=2022 |title= |role= |name= }}<br />
}}<br />
<br />
'''Ravinder Bansal''' (born 26 February 1949),<ref name="limca">{{Cite web|url=https://www.earthrounders.com/ravinder_record.php|title=Limca Book of Records Citation|date=2017-09-19|website=Earth Rounders|language=en|access-date=2021-02-17}}</ref> is an [[Indian American]] entrepreneur, philanthropist, and amateur pilot from [[Clarence, New York]].<ref name="The Buffalo News 1993">{{cite web | title=WNY Entrepreneurs Win Five Awards | website=The Buffalo News | date=1993-06-25 | url=https://buffalonews.com/news/wny-entrepreneurs-win-five-awards/article_7a025c1d-5c44-5035-b0b2-16b70998f25c.html | access-date=2021-03-01}}</ref><ref name="University at Buffalo 2009">{{cite web | title=Ravinder K. Bansal of Clarence, Walter P. Cooke Award | website=University at Buffalo | date=2009-03-03 | url=http://www.buffalo.edu/news/news-releases.host.html/content/shared/www/news/private/2009/03/9941.html | access-date=2021-03-01}}</ref><ref name="Fischer 2017">{{cite web | last=Fischer | first=Nancy A. | title=Clarence retiree's solo flight around globe is a mission of mercy | website=The Buffalo News | date=2017-06-23 | url=https://buffalonews.com/news/local/clarence-retirees-solo-flight-around-globe-is-a-mission-of-mercy/article_29153219-3586-5551-b30e-1f5e77da5b49.html | access-date=2021-02-27}}</ref><ref name="Yadav 2017">{{cite news | last=Yadav | first=Yojana | title=Ambala-origin NRI to fly solo across world to raise funds for MRI machine | newspaper=Hindustan Times | date=2017-06-26 | url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/punjab/ambala-origin-man-to-fly-solo-across-world-to-raise-funds-for-mri-machine/story-VzzQGcR75kopuihyqfXC4N.html | access-date=2023-03-27}}</ref> He was the first person of [[Indian people|Indian]] origin to fly around the world solo in a single engine plane.<ref name="limca" /><ref name="Dadhwal 2019">{{cite web | last=Dadhwal | first=Sheetal | title=Clocking miles, touching lives | website=The Tribune India News Service | date=2019-12-20 | url=https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/archive/lifestyle/clocking-miles-touching-lives-868684 | access-date=2021-02-27}}</ref><ref name="Schanz 2017">{{cite web | last=Schanz | first=Jenn | title=Local man sets record with solo flight to India | website=News 4 Buffalo | date=2017-08-27 | url=https://www.wivb.com/news/local-news/local-man-sets-record-with-solo-flight-to-india/1042766074/ | access-date=2021-02-27}}</ref><br />
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==Early life and education==<br />
Bansal was born in [[Ambala, India]] in 1949 to an Agarwal family. His father, Dr. Chatar Muni Bansal, was a private physician in [[Kasauli|Kasauli, India]]. He did his early schooling in Kasauli before moving to Ambala to attend [[Sanatan Dharma College|S.D. College]]. He completed a PhD in [[Mechanical Engineering]] at the [[Georgia Institute of Technology]] from 1974 to 1977.<ref name="Yadav 2017" /> While studying at Georgia Tech, he also learned how to fly and received his pilot's license in 1977.<ref name="Dadhwal 2019" /><br />
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==Career==<br />
Bansal was recruited by [[Linde plc|Linde]] and moved to the [[Buffalo, NY]] area in 1977.<ref name="Fischer 2017" /> He co-founded a medical and industrial oxygen concentrator company, AirSep Corporation, in [[Amherst, NY]] in 1987 and served as CEO until its acquisition.<ref name="Franczyk 2006">{{cite web | last=Franczyk | first=Annemarie | title=The breath of life | website=Buffalo Business First | date=2006-04-20 | url=https://www.bizjournals.com/buffalo/stories/2006/04/24/smallb1.html | access-date=2021-02-27}}</ref> For his work at AirSep, he was awarded the 1993 Entrepreneur of the Year award in Upstate New York.<ref name="The Buffalo News 1993" /> AirSep was also awarded the U.S. Department of Commerce's Export Achievement Award in 2002.<ref name="University at Buffalo 2009" /> At its peak, AirSep employed 700 people and had $110 million in revenue in 2006.<ref name="Franczyk 2006" /> AirSep was acquired by Chart Industries in 2012 for $170 million.<ref name="Industries 2012">{{cite press release | last=Industries | first=Chart | title=Chart Industries to Acquire AirSep Corporation | website=GlobeNewswire News Room | date=2012-07-23 | url=http://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2012/07/23/274212/263081/en/Chart-Industries-to-Acquire-AirSep-Corporation.html | access-date=2021-02-27}}</ref><ref name="Offshore Energy 2012">{{cite web | title=USA: Chart Industries Acquires AirSep Corporation | website=Offshore Energy | date=2012-07-24 | url=https://www.offshore-energy.biz/usa-chart-industries-acquires-airsep-corporation/ | access-date=2021-03-01}}</ref><br />
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Bansal was awarded the Walter P. Cooke Award in 2009 from the [[State University of New York at Buffalo]] for his philanthropic contributions.<ref name="University at Buffalo 2009" /><ref name="WBFO 2009">{{cite web | title=UB Alumni Association Honors 20 at Annual Dinner | website=WBFO | date=2009-03-19 | url=https://news.wbfo.org/post/ub-alumni-association-honors-20-annual-dinner | access-date=2021-03-01}}</ref><br />
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Bansal was awarded a [[State University of New York]] Honorary Doctorate of Science on 21 May 2022 for his accomplishments as an entrepreneur, humanitarian and researcher.<ref name="University at Buffalo 2022">{{cite web | title=Bansal to receive SUNY Honorary Doctorate at UB commencement | website=University at Buffalo | date=2022-05-09 | url=https://engineering.buffalo.edu/home/news/seas.host.html/content/shared/engineering/home/articles/news-articles/2022/bansal-to-receive-suny-honorary-doctorate-at-ub-commencement.detail.html | access-date=2022-05-26}}</ref><br />
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==Circumnavigation==<br />
[[File:Ravinder Bansal Route.png|thumb|Ravinder Bansal's Solo Circumnavigation Route]]<br />
In August 2017, Bansal completed a solo circumnavigation of the globe in an airplane with a single, [[reciprocating engine]], becoming the first person of Indian origin to do so.<ref name="limca" /><ref name="Dadhwal 2019" /><ref name="Schanz 2017" /> Bansal departed on his circumnavigation from Buffalo, NY, USA on 4 July 2017, and returned 47 days later on 20 August 2017. He completed his circumnavigation in his own [[Cessna 400]] single-engine piston aircraft.<ref name="The Indian Panorama 2017">{{cite web | title=Indian American to embark on solo flight around the world | website=The Indian Panorama | date=2017-06-30 | url=https://www.theindianpanorama.news/indians-abroad/indian-american-embark-solo-flight-around-world/ | access-date=2021-02-27}}</ref> His trip consisted of 36 stops in 19 countries and covered a total distance of 21,738 [[nautical miles]] with a cumulative flight time of 135.9 hours.<ref name="Bansal">{{cite web | last=Bansal | first=Ravi | title=Round the World Solo Flight by Ravi Bansal | website=Round the World Solo Flight by Ravi Bansal | url=http://www.raviworldflight.com/ | access-date=2021-02-27}}</ref> The flight required six months of preparation with his logistics team of Eddie Gold and Ahmed Hassan at GASE.<ref name="Fischer 2017" /><ref name="Das 2017">{{cite web | last=Das | first=Y P | title=RC Ambala's cancer hospital gets a flying Ambassador | website=ROTARY NEWS | date=2017-10-01 | url=https://rotarynewsonline.org/rc-ambalas-cancer-hospital-gets-a-f%e2%80%89lying-ambassador/ | access-date=2021-02-27}}</ref><br />
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Bansal, inspired by the passing of his sister-in-law to complications from [[breast cancer]], set out to raise awareness and money with his circumnavigation mission for the Rotary Cancer Hospital in his hometown of Ambala.<ref name="Dutt 2021">{{cite web | last=Dutt | first=Ela | title=Around the world in 47 days, Indian-American from Buffalo, N.Y. raised awareness about cancer in India | website=News India Times | date=2021-02-27 | url=https://www.newsindiatimes.com/around-the-world-in-47-days-indian-american-from-buffalo-n-y-raised-awareness-about-cancer-in-india/ | access-date=2021-02-27}}</ref> As of August 2017, the mission had raised $160,000 towards the purchase of an [[MRI machine]] to allow for early detection of cancer at the hospital.<ref name="Fischer2 2017">{{cite web | last=Fischer | first=Nancy A. | title=Clarence pilot's solo flight around world raises $160,000 for India hospital | website=The Buffalo News | date=2017-08-29 | url=https://buffalonews.com/news/local/clarence-pilots-solo-flight-around-world-raises-160-000-for-india-hospital/article_ac901f2a-729a-5be3-ab24-b9d1f710d0c2.html | access-date=2021-02-27}}</ref><br />
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Bansal was recognized for becoming the first person of Indian origin to fly solo around the world by the [[Limca Book of Records]] in its 2020 edition.<ref name="limca" /> The State of New York Legislature of the County of Erie recognized Bansal for his record solo flight and efforts in the fight against cancer by passing a resolution on 7 September 2017.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www2.erie.gov/legislature/sites/www2.erie.gov.legislature/files/uploads/Session_Folders/2017/Session_17/Meeting%2016%20from%202017%20minutes.pdf|title=Erie County Legislature Meeting No. 16|website=Erie County Legislature|access-date=2021-02-27}}</ref><br />
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Bansal published a book in 2019, ''Cleared Direct Destination'', detailing his solo circumnavigation mission.<ref name="India News Calling 2014">{{cite web | title=Round the World Solo Flight for Cancer Patients | website=India News Calling | date=2014-05-10 | url=http://www.indianewscalling.com/news/89913-round-the-world-solo-flight-for-cancer-patients-.aspx | language=la | access-date=2021-03-01}}</ref><ref name="Earthrounders 2020">{{cite web | title=Books | website=Earth Rounders | date=2020-07-16 | url=https://www.earthrounders.com/books.php#rav2 | access-date=2021-03-01}}</ref><br />
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==References==<br />
{{reflist}}<br />
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Bansal, Ravinder}}<br />
[[Category:Circumnavigators of the globe]]<br />
[[Category:People from Ambala]]<br />
[[Category:1949 births]]<br />
[[Category:Living people]]<br />
[[Category:Indian emigrants to the United States]]</div>HildaCorley2963