Wang Zheng (pilot) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Wang Zheng
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Wang Zheng
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| Born | December 25, 1972 Chongqing, China
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| Nationality | Chinese |
| Known for | First Asian woman to fly around the world; first Chinese pilot to solo fly around the world. |
| Aviation career | |
| First flight | March 10, 2011 |
| Famous flights | Solo Global Circumnavigation August 17 – September 19, 2016 |
| Other names | Julie Wang |
| Occupation | Airline Captain |
Wang Zheng (王争; born 25 December 1972), also known as Julie Wang, is an amazing airline pilot and a flight instructor in the United States. She is famous for being the first Asian woman to fly an airplane all the way around the Earth! She is also the first pilot from China to fly solo (by herself) around the world. Wang Zheng is the eighth woman in history to complete such an incredible journey.
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Early Life and Becoming a Pilot
Wang Zheng grew up in Harbin, China. Her parents were professors who worked on aerospace research, which is about designing and building aircraft and spacecraft. This might have inspired her love for flying!
Wang went to college at Xiamen University. After that, she worked in advertising for fifteen years. But her dream was to become a pilot. So, in September 2010, she moved to the United States with her husband and daughter. She quickly earned her pilot's license in 2011. Later, she became a certified flight instructor, which means she can teach other people how to fly. She even opened her own flight school in Florida!
Flying Around the World
In September 2016, Wang Zheng achieved her amazing goal: she flew solo around the world in an airplane! This made her the first Chinese person to ever do this.
The Journey Begins
She started her journey from Addison, Texas, on August 17, 2016. First, she stopped in California to get special extra fuel tanks installed in her plane. These "ferry tanks" allowed her to fly much longer distances without landing. She also got important approvals from the FAA for these changes.
Across Continents and Oceans
Wang Zheng took off from Merced, California, on September 2, 2016. Her incredible route took her across many countries and oceans. She made stops in places like Hawaii, the Marshall Islands, Guam, the Philippines, China, Thailand, India, the United Arab Emirates, Greece, Malta, Portugal, the Azores, and Newfoundland.
Returning Home
Finally, she returned to Texas on September 19, just thirty-three days after she started her solo flight around the world.
Her Amazing Aircraft
Wang Zheng made her flight in a Cirrus SR22 airplane. This plane was specially changed to hold all that extra fuel. She flew over 38,500 miles (33,500 nautical miles) (which is more than 33,000 nautical miles!). This took her 155 flying hours, spread over eighteen days of actual flying. She flew over or landed in 24 different countries!
Her longest single flight was from Merced, California, to Honolulu, Hawaii. This part of her journey covered 2,160 nautical miles and took 13.8 hours. One of her toughest days involved flying from Lisbon, Portugal, to Santa Maria Island in the Azores, and then from Santa Maria to St. John's, Newfoundland. This required her to stay awake for a very long 29 hours!
Recognitions and Awards
Wang Zheng's incredible achievement has been recognized in many ways.
On November 7, 2016, the Mayor of West Palm Beach, Jerrie Muoio, and the City Commissioners gave Wang Zheng the key to the City. This is a special honor given to important people.
In January 2018, Wang Zheng was a special speaker at the Sebring Sport Aviation Expo. She spoke to young aviators (people interested in flying) about how to "Inspire Young Women and Aviators to Achieve their Dreams."
In March 2018, a company called Netflights in London honored Wang Zheng. They put her on their list of the "Top 10 Inspiring Women in Aviation of All Time."
In August 2018, Travel Daily Media also included Wang Zheng on their list of "12 Iconic Women in Aviation." This was part of their celebration of National Aviation Day in the United States.
