Teen pilot to soar more than 15,000km in pursuit of world record flight around Aus
While his friends focus on their studies thousands of meters below, a Melbourne teenager will fly across the country in pursuit of a world record while raising money for charity.
17-year-old Rose Donald is in the midst of a 15,000km journey that will take her across the Australian continent to raise funds for Little Wings, a charity that provides free transport to sick children living in rural Australia.
The flight could also make her the youngest female pilot to fly solo around Australia in a small plane.
Ms Donald said preparing for the flight sometimes felt “a bit hopeless” and plans “stumbled” at the steps along the way.
“My reasoning was that at any point (where things went wrong) I was in a better position than I was at the beginning to pick things up again and continue working towards my end goal,” he said.
“I’m really glad I kept pushing forward even when I felt a little hopeless. I’ve put myself in a really great position right now and I’m so grateful for all of it.”
Miss Donald, who set off from Essendon on Easter Monday, is currently parked in Brisbane at the fifth stop of her 25-leg journey and is determined to get the job done despite the long way she has to go.
“I usually stop at each destination and refuel overnight… I just like to be safe and make absolutely sure I have enough fuel to get to my next stop,” he said.
“There are a lot of things you need to pay attention to when flying… I’ll need to navigate visually and cross-reference the location with my maps. I need to keep track of fuel logs, how much I’ve burned, and how long I’ve left.”
Ms Donald said partnering with a charity seemed “a bit of a long shot” at first, but she was eventually able to connect with Little Wings; A team that “works hard to achieve the best outcome they can for the families and children they support.”
“I met them in Tamworth and they were all chatting to their families and it was clear that everyone knew each other very well and there was a real community atmosphere in what they did,” he said.
Little Wings chief executive Clare Pearson said she was “deeply impressed” by Ms Donald’s talent and her drive to ensure her mission raised the flag for a good cause.
“Little Wings is an organization made possible by the community, for the community, and Rose is an extension of the concept of people helping people and making a positive change in the world,” Ms. Pearson said.
“We encourage people to follow his journey, support his message and donate. Every dollar supports seriously ill children in regional Australia accessing life-saving medical treatment only available in major cities.”
