Polly Vacher facts for kids
Polly Vacher MBE is a famous English pilot. She is known for flying long distances all by herself. She was given an award called the MBE in 2002 for her amazing work helping charities. Polly lives in Oxfordshire, England.
Polly was born in south Devon. Before she became a pilot, she worked in music education, teaching music for twenty years. Her love for flying started after she took part in a skydiving event to raise money for charity.
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Becoming a Pilot
Polly learned to fly in Australia with her husband, Peter, in 1994. After getting her private pilot licence, they flew all the way around Australia together! This was just the beginning of her amazing flying adventures.
First Solo Flights
In 1997, Polly flew her plane all around the United States. She even flew across the North Atlantic by herself, going both ways! This showed how skilled and brave she was as a pilot.
Flying for Charity
Polly Vacher has used her flying skills to help others. She supports a charity called Flying Scholarships for the Disabled. This charity helps people with disabilities learn to fly.
Around the World Challenge
In 2001, Polly took on her first "Wings Around the World Challenge." She flew all by herself around the entire world! She used a small, single-engine plane called a Piper PA-28 Cherokee Dakota. This plane was named G-FRGN.
- She was the first woman to fly solo around the world in such a small aircraft, going through Australia.
- One part of her journey was a very long 16-hour flight from Hawaii to California.
Voyage to the Ice
Polly's next big adventure started in 2003. It was called "Voyage to the Ice." She flew from Birmingham Airport and aimed to fly over the North Pole and Antarctica!
- She flew over all seven continents.
- She returned in April 2004, becoming the first woman to fly solo over both the North and South polar regions. This was a truly incredible achievement!
Wings Around Britain
In 2007, Polly started another challenge called "Wings Around Britain." She flew to every single airfield listed in a special pilot's manual for the UK.
- She visited 221 airfields between May and July 2007.
- She flew about 19,000 nautical miles (35,000 km) in 158 hours of flying time.
- During this challenge, she also gave flights to ninety-six disabled passengers, letting them experience the joy of flying.
Polly Vacher is an inspiring pilot who has shown that with courage and determination, you can achieve amazing things, especially when flying for a good cause.
