CarolAnn Garratt has her eyes set on a world record: circle the Earth in just seven days on the wings of a single-engine piston Mooney 201J, all in the name of a great cause.
The current speed record for a
'round-the-world journey has held since May 1988, when a Beechcraft Bonanza circled the Earth at an average speed of 54.6 mph. CarolAnn, along with co-pilot Carol Foy, will alternate three-hour flying shifts to dash around the globe at an average speed of 140 mph.
The real goal, beside the record-breaking dash around the globe, is to raise $1,000,000 for ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease.
So far, the duo has raised $116,000.
The pair plans two-hour stops at each of the seven refuelling points; giving them just long enough to stretch their legs, let nature call, gas up and go.
"We have no hotel reservations," says Garratt a 3100-hour instrument rated private pilot.
In-flight meals are still in the works, though Foy, who is a tri-athlete, is toying with the idea of bringing GU Energy Gel packs to get the nutrition the pair needs for the flight.
The journey, which is expected to begin the first week of December, will depart from Orlando and head west with stops in San Diego, Hawaii, Guam, Thailand, Oman, Gabon, Cape Verde and then back to Orlando again.
The Mooney will be equipped with two 50 gallon wing tanks and one 120 gallon tank in place of the passenger seats. The fully loaded single-engine prop will have a 24-hour endurance on 220 gallons of 100 octane LL gasoline.
With such long legs and brief stops along the journey, Garratt says the biggest obstacle on the flight is fatigue. She adds that because the average speed is so much higher than the previous record, if necessary the duo will stop for sleep on the ground.
In addition, Garratt is looking forward to celebrating her birthday December 8th in the sky.
Garratt, who lost her mother to ALS in 2002, is paying for the world record-breaking attempt on her own. One hundred percent of the donations will go directly to the ALS Therapy Development Institute.
DONATE HERE
Recent Comments