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Hamish Harding

Hamish Harding (born 24 June 1964; missing since 18 June 2023) is a

British businessman, pilot, explorer, and space tourist based in the Hamish Harding
United Arab Emirates. He is the founder of Action Group and chairman Born 24 June 1964
of Action Aviation, an international aircraft brokerage company with Disappeared 18 June 2023
headquarters in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.[3][4][5] (aged 58)
Wreck of the Titanic,
On 9–11 July 2019, Harding was mission director and crew pilot for the
flight mission One More Orbit, which set a world speed record for the North Atlantic Ocean
fastest circumnavigation of Earth by aircraft over both geographic (2023 Titan
poles.[5][6][7] submersible
incident)
Harding has been identified as one of the five people inside a submersible Status Missing for 4 days
that went missing in the North Atlantic while en route to view the
wreckage of the Titanic on 18 June 2023.[8] Died June 22, 2023
(aged 58)

Education Nationality British

Education The King's School,
Harding was educated at The King's School,[9] an independent day school Gloucester
in the city of Gloucester in South West England, followed by Pembroke Alma mater Pembroke College,
College,[10] a constituent college of the University of Cambridge.[11] Cambridge (BA,
MA)[1]
Biography Occupations Businessman
Aviator
In 2017, Harding worked with Antarctic VIP tourism company, White
Desert, to introduce the first regular business jet service to the Antarctic Explorer
using a Gulfstream G550, landing on Wolfs Fang Runway, an ice runway. Known for Crew pilot for the
Harding also visited the South Pole several times, accompanying Buzz record-breaking flight
Aldrin in 2016 as he became the oldest person to reach the South Pole
mission, One More
(age 86).[12]
Orbit
On 9–11 July 2019, to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 Spouse Linda Harding[2]
Moon landing, Harding, along with Terry Virts, led a team of aviators Children 2[2]
that took the Guinness World Record for a circumnavigation of the Earth
via North and South Poles in a Gulfstream G650ER in 46 hours 40 Space career
minutes.[13][14] The One More Orbit mission launched and landed at the Blue Origin space tourist
Shuttle Landing Facility (Space Florida) at NASA Kennedy Space Center,
Missions Blue Origin NS-21
US. Harding was the mission director and led a team of over 100.

On 5 March 2021, Harding and Victor Vescovo dived to the deepest point of the Mariana Trench, the
Challenger Deep at a depth of 36,000 feet (11,000 m), in a two-person submarine, setting the records for
greatest length covered and greatest time spent at full ocean depth.[15][16][17][7]

Harding flew to space as part of the suborbital Blue Origin NS-21 mission, on 4 June 2022, on the fifth
spaceflight of the New Shepard rocket.[18][19][20][21][22]
In September 2022, Harding's aviation company Action Aviation supplied a customised Boeing 747-400
aircraft to transport eight wild cheetahs from Namibia to India to launch the reintroduction of the cheetah to
India project of the Indian Government and the Cheetah Conservation Fund in Namibia (CCF). Cheetahs
have been extinct in India since independence in 1947.[23] This conservation project was designated a
"flagged expedition" by the Explorers Club with club members Harding and Laurie Marker, founder of the
CCF, carrying the flag on the flight to India.[24][25]

Missing Titan submersible

On 18 June 2023, Harding was one of five people aboard the Titan submersible operated by OceanGate, Inc.
on an expedition to visit the wreckage of RMS Titanic 12,500 feet (3,800 m) below the surface of the North
Atlantic. The submersible went missing after an hour and 45 minutes and is believed to have air reserves
sufficent to last between 70 and 96 hours. As of 22 June 2023, this incident is still ongoing.[26][27]

Awards and recognition

In August 2022, Harding was inducted into the Living Legends of Aviation.[28][29]
Harding is on the board of trustees of the Explorers Club and is chairman of its Middle East
chapter.[30][31][32]

See also
List of people who descended to Challenger Deep

References
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External links
Hamish Harding (https://www.imdb.com/name/nm11793843/) at IMDb

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Hamish_Harding&oldid=1161390181"

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