When Peter Teahen and John Ockenfels set their sights on the open sky, it wasn’t just for the thrill of soaring through the air. These intrepid aviators are piloting a single-engine Cessna T210M on an ambitious global journey to raise funds and awareness for polio eradication. The Rotary Foundation is the direct beneficiary of the funds raised, and thanks to a generous match from the Gates Foundation, every dollar donated equates to $3 in total contributions.
The Rotarian duo departed from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, on May 5, navigating through various countries, including Denmark, France, United Arab Emirates, India, and Indonesia, before touching down in Darwin, Australia. This multi-national flight wasn’t a straightforward endeavour, entailing meticulous planning, exhaustive paperwork, and meticulous adherence to regulatory procedures.
The next stage of their journey will test their mettle as they face the vast expanse of the Pacific Ocean. With their Cessna modified to provide a 19-hour range courtesy of extra fuel tanks and a specialized fuel bladder, Teahen and Ockenfels are prepared for challenging flights of up to 15 hours between islands. Destinations on their itinerary include New Caledonia, Fiji, American Samoa, Hawaii, California, and Colorado, with a planned return to Cedar Rapids on July 30.
Upon completing this daring journey, the pilots will join an elite group of 700 aviators who have circumnavigated the world in a single-engine aircraft. To date, 270 of these brave pilots are still living.
Teahen originally planned to embark on this ambitious flight solo. However, on his wife’s advice, he enlisted the help of his equally adventurous cousin, John Ockenfels. Their journey has been four years in the making, with initial plans in 2020 and 2021 scuppered by the outbreak of COVID-19 and geopolitical issues involving Russia and Ukraine.
The global Rotarian community has been instrumental in supporting this mission, with numerous fundraising activities conducted in various cities visited by the pair. One of the most poignant moments of the journey occurred in a Pakistani slum, where they helped vaccinate vulnerable children against polio. This experience, according to Teahen, was profoundly emotional and underscored the importance of their mission.
The pilots visited the Kingsford Smith Memorial to see the Southern Cross
The next leg of their journey will see them depart from Brisbane on Saturday, July 15, at 8 am. A visit to the Kingsford Smith Memorial at Brisbane Airport paid homage to the pioneering aviators who crossed the Pacific 95 years ago. Support from the airport staff, Brisbane Airport Hotels Group, Swissport, and Australian Border Force has been invaluable to their mission.
Their flight statistics thus far are impressive:
- Two pilots
- 21 countries
- 40 stops
- 165+ hours in the sky
- 40,753-kilometer journey
- Over $1,000,000 raised for polio prevention
For more information and to support their mission, visit flighttoendpolio.com. The flight map, showing their progress, and the pilots’ photos are available on their website. Your contribution can make a world of difference in the fight against polio.
Written by: Anne Keam
