Polly Vacher
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Polly Vacher (born 1944) is an English aviatrix specialising in long-distance solo flights.
Born in south Devon, she trained in physiotherapy and spent twenty years in music education. Her interest in aviation developed from a charity skydiving event. She obtained her private pilot license with her husband Peter in Australia in 1994 and they followed this up by a circumnavigation of the continent. In 1997 she toured the United States by plane, flying solo across the North Atlantic in both directions.
Her first Wings Around the World Challenge in aid of the charity Flying Scholarships for the Disabled was in January-May 2001 when she made a solo eastbound circumnavigation of the world in her single-engine Piper PA-28 Cherokee Dakota G-FRGN, the smallest aircraft flown solo by a woman around the world via Australia, including a 16-hour segment from Hawaii to California.
On 6 May 2003 she set out from Birmingham International Airport on a Voyage to the Ice for the same charity, flying over the North Pole, Antarctica and all seven continents, returning on 27 April 2004, becoming the first solo woman flyer over the polar regions.
On May 21st 2007 she set off on her latest venture, the Wings Around Britain Challenge in which Polly is intending to land at all 206 recognised airfields in the country.
She departed Birmingham International Airport in her aircraft and to date (24th May, 16:15BST) had visited the Isle of Man, Prestwick, Glasgow, Campbeltown, Gigha Island, Newtownards, Belfast International Airport/Aldergrove, Belfast City Airport, Enniskillen and was due to spend the night at Derry Airport before taking off for Islay on May 25th. By a bizarre twist of fete, Derry Airport was closed by the CAA at midnight on May 24th due to safety concerns. This will not affect Polly and her flight is due to depart ontime on Friday morning (25th May).
Keep up to date with her progress online at [1]
She was awarded the MBE for services to charity in 2002. She lives in Oxfordshire.
[edit] References
- Vacher, Polly (2006). Wings Around the World. London: Grub Street. ISBN 978-1-904943-54-9.
- Wings Around the World.
