Museum of Army Flying, Middle Wallop Press Release
WINGS AROUND BRITAIN. – Middle Wallop “Stop off”
11.30 am July 18th 2007
Record breaking pilot Polly Vacher MBE has flown twice around the world in her Piper Cherokee Dakota in its striking orange and black livery. In 2001 Polly was the first woman to fly solo around the world via Australia and the Pacific in such a small plane. The second time, in 2004, she became the first woman to fly solo over the North Pole in a single engine aircraft.
Now Polly is undertaking the Wings Around Britain Flight to raise awareness for her charity “ Flying Scholarships for the Disabled”
The charity was founded in memory of Sir Douglas Bader and proceeds go to enable disabled people to learn to fly.
The Army Air Corps in their 50th Anniversary will greet Polly when she lands at Middle Wallop on one of the stops of this flight. Polly will sign the necessary log books and take on board a disabled co pilot for the next leg of her trip. Stuart Boreham has cerebral palsy but he is already a Guiness Book of Records holder in that he is the only disabled person ever to row the Atlantic a feat that took him 109 days alone at sea. Now he is taking to the air.
The Blue Eagles Helicopter Display Team and the Historic Aircraft Flight will be on hand to salute Polly and Stuart when they meet for the first time at the Museum of Army Flying. The Regimental Colonel, Col. Bill Sivewright, will be signing Polly’s log books. Polly’s expected arrival will be 11.30 am approx. she will be leaving at 13.00hrs.
Polly Vacher MBE
Polly was born 1944 in Dartmouth, Devon. She trained as a physiotherapist and married Peter. The Vachers have three sons.
Polly has a degree in music and is an accomplished pianist, regularly giving concerts as well as teaching music.
First introduction to aviation was a charity skydive, after which Polly completed a further 249 jumps before taking up flying.
Polly and her husband learned to fly in 1994 and whilst living in Australia flew themselves around that continent.
Polly's first long distance solo flight was across the North Atlantic in 1997, and after a flying holiday around the USA, she flew her aircraft back to the UK across the North Atlantic again.
2001 Wings Around the World I and Polly flew solo around the world in her single engine Piper Dakota via Australia and the Pacific Ocean, covering over 25,000 nautical miles in 127 days.
2004 Wings Around the World II Polly became the first woman to fly over the North Pole and the first person to land on all seven continents.
Polly and Peter have taken an active interest in Flying Scholarships for the Disabled for several years and to date Polly and her team have raised over £400,000.