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"LoPresti's First Saturday Event on Saturday January 2 will host CarolAnn Garratt, aviation' s around the world record speed holder and author of Upon Silver Wings."This charity breakfast event begins with coffee and full breakfast at 9 a.m., and then the presentation from 10-11:30 a.m. Event benefits her personal passion, ALS Research (Lou Gehrig's Disease). Charity donation $5. Sebastian Airport, X26. 210 Airport Drive East. All welcome. Call Mimi Erskine 772-562-4757.
CarolAnn Garratt, Ocala, Florida, is a former manager with a Fortune 500 company. She earned her private pilot license in 1978 and her instrument rating in 1980. In 1996, she completed her commercial license and bought a Mooney in 2000. After her mother suffered and died from ALS, she flew around the world in 2003 to raise awareness and donations for ALS. Not content to just fly, CarolAnn built her first plane in 2006. Today she owns and flies three different aircraft. She has over 3500 hours and flies more than 400 hours a year including flying students with the EAA Young Eagles program, the sick and needy with Angel Flights, and instructing cadets with the Civil Air Patrol. CarolAnn spent 18 months planning for her world record attempt and, with co-pilot Carol Foy, set out from Orlando International on December 2nd, 2008 to fly around the world westbound. The planning paid off as the first six legs went like clockwork. The seventh leg, across Africa, had its difficulties, but with the help of their ground crew, everything continued almost on schedule. They arrived back in Orlando after 8 days, 12 hours and 20 minutes, just 90 minutes ahead of a massive cold front that was plowing its way across Florida.
The US governing
body, National Aeronautics Association, has certified their
flight as the US record. The Federation Aeronautique
Internationale is reviewing the paperwork and is expected to
certify their world record in the coming month.
Upon
Silver Wings: Global Adventure in a Small Plane Upon Silver Wings II: World-Record Adventure This newly published book about the world-record flight and its 18 months of preparation is now available. As with the first book, 100% of sales go directly to ALS Therapy Development Institute, researching a cure for Lou Gehrig’s disease. Read all about the flight and learn what’s involved in planning an endeavor that touches multiple time zones, governments and continents. Learn what went right and what went wrong. Share the experience of being in a small cockpit for 158 hours, leaving the plane only 8 times to refuel and stretch (their ground time was only 46 hours). What did they eat? How did they go to the bathroom? How did they get permission to cross all those countries? And, most important, what inspired Garratt and Foy to accomplish this world record?
Hangar Flying - Skydiving - Antique Cars -
Want even more? Stay
the day or the weekend in Sebastian
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My
wife had arranged a surprise trip to the west coast for
Thanksgiving. We would visit friends and follow her passion,
several national parks: Sequoia, Kings Canyon and Yosemite. When
we lived in CA we would visit them often but she wanted to show
our 16-year-old daughter their majesty. I love nature but have
always looked at it through a pilot’s eyes. I don’t think this
pleased everybody, especially the people on the tour bus. There
is no doubt that the beauty is overwhelming, that it changes
your attitude and puts things in perspective. How can you not be
impressed by a tree that’s bigger than a house, been there since
the beginning of time and actually grows in a grove with other
trees to support each other. Something so massive and yet the
bark is soft and creates a fluid within itself that is a fire
protective and a healing liquid. Yes, these giant trees are a
wonder.
Another
thing I had with me was my Bendix/King AV8OR GPS. Oh, did I have
fun with this magic box. It fit right in my jacket pocket and I
watched our speed and altitude though out trip. It drove my wife
crazy, hahahaha. You know, they need to change a few signs
showing altitude in Yosemite, they’re off just a bit. When we
would park the car I would use the pin feature to mark where we
parked. No way was I going to be like Hansel and Gretel. This
kid was going to find his way out of the woods. This thing was
great. It showed my walking speed, gave me a time back to our
car and showed me the altitude. It did everything but let me
know when I would pass out from the walking. It seemed that all
walking was up hill both ways, to and from the car. I must say
here that it is worth a trip to our national parks. They are a
thing of great majestic beauty with a calming effect of Mother
Nature.
at LoPresti did a great job setting everything up. Mimi had the
breakfast arranged, it lacked nothing. David arranged booths for
local companies, promoted the event through our newsletter and
local press and arranged a full stage. He had many replies from
gaggles of aircraft planning to attend. I had numerous emails
and calls from friends planning to attend as far away as IL. Joe
Griffin, the airport MGR, had the airport ready for all fly-in
airplanes, fence lines up for the Fury acro show and car parking
crews. Joe, well done, it was first class.
ibbon
cutting, the City and County officials talked and RJ gave a
fantastic presentation on our company, its products and our
people. I was proud to be counted in this crew. I didn’t give my
normal talk but was interviewed by David, a no hold interview
which brought out some new stories; aviation has been very good
to me. Over 360 people drove in, one airplane made it in, guess
he found a VFR pocket. It was a great event, which will become
our big annual event besides our regular First Saturday open
house. Besides the rain the only disappointment was not being
able to fly the Fury acro show for the gathering. The Fury is at
home for the Holidays, yessssss I miss her but she’s warm and
getting ready for January when we start our 2010 season at the
LSA convention in Sebring, FL. I came back to Dallas on
Southwest and yes; I kept thinking to myself, “The Fury and I
would be home by now!”
CarolAnn
Garratt has an amazing story to tell. She personally charged
herself with the mission to raise awareness and donations to
fund research for Lou Gehrig's Disease (ALS). This mission
drove her to set the world record for flying around the world
and topped it off with a written account "Upon Silver Wings". A
woman with a purpose, CarolAnn is on our list of remarkable
aviation pilots. Join us as she recounts her story of a 7-day
flight with racing pilot Carol Foy to achieve this new aviation
world speed record.
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