The flying career of a wandering private pilot

After obtaining a Private Pilots’s Licence in 2005, I decided that it must be possible to use this new skill for more than occasional local flights for a cup of tea. With very little experience, and a similar amount of guidance, I set off to see what adventures could be had. It soon became clear that a number of other private pilots had the same ideas, although making up a tiny fraction of the overall pilot population. What was missing was shared information on their experiences, the tips and tricks that ease this kind of endeavor. Hence, this website: to chronicle my adventures, and hopefully provide helpful information and advice to those wishing to do the same thing.

The site is intended to offer ideas, tips and tricks for other pilots who are keen to make similar trips. I also keep it as a way to chronicle these experiences for my own enjoyment.

You can click here to visit the index of all flying adventures so far.

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Round the World

The flight around the world started in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on May 6th 2019. The route took me across the Atlantic to the UK, through Europe, the Middle East and India into Southeast Asia, and onward for an extended stay in Australia and New Zealand due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Finally, it continued across the Pacific to the USA to complete the circle, finishing on June 30th 2023.

The flight in figures:

• Hours flown: 659
• Distance flown: 84,140 miles (135,410 km)
• Countries visited: 35
• Airports visited: 571

The write-up, day by day:

• Section 1: The Atlantic
• Section 2: Eurasia
• Section 3: SE Asia
• Section 4: Australia
• Section 5: New Zealand
• Section 6: Return to New Zealand
• Section 7: Australia part two
• Section 8: Australia part three
• Section 9: The Pacific
  • The Pacific, Part 1: Preparation
  • The Pacific, Part 2: Final days in Australia
  • The Pacific, Part 3: Departure
  • The Pacific, Part 4: Exploring New Caledonia
  • The Pacific, Part 5: The New Caledonian Islands
  • The Pacific, Part 6: Fiji
  • The Pacific, Part 7: American Samoa and Samoa
  • The Pacific, Part 8: Kiritimati
  • The Pacific, Part 9: Oahu
  • The Pacific, Part 10: Maui
  • The Pacific, Part 11: The Big Island
  • The Pacific, Part 12: The longest leg
  • The Pacific, Part 13: Homecoming

Click here to read more about the flight.