Swiss pensioner flying around the world in plane he built himself is forced to land by Indonesian fighter jet and arrested at gunpoint after entering their airspace
- Heinz Peier, 65, used to be a Swiss Air pilot but has since retired
- Since 2012 he has been flying around the world in a homemade plane
- His travels have so far taken in six continents and more than 100 cities
- He was forced to land in Soewondo, Indonesia, today by fighter jets
- Peier was arrested at gunpoint after apparently flying into their airspace
A retired Swiss airline pilot flying around the world for the last two years in a plane he built himself has been arrested after straying into Indonesian airspace.
Heinz Peier, 65, was forced to land by Indonesian fighter jets today before being surrounded by armed soldiers at Soewondo Air Base where he was arrested.
According to his blog, Peier was due to travel from Sri Lanka to the Philippines when the arrest happened, and was not planning to stop in Indonesia.
In his last post, dated two days ago (April 8, 2014) in Sri Lanka, Peier says he is due to visit the temple of Kanda after staying the night in the Sri Lankan mountains. He also discussed refueling his plane beforehand in case he needs to depart ‘on a moment’s notice.’ It is not clear if Peier is being held by the Indonesian authorities or if he is has been released.
