Cherokee-Six Lays Up In Broome, Australia, For Maintenance

Paul Ryan and Alan McMahon are on a 70-day mission to circumnavigate the globe, starting and ending in Shannon, Ireland. The money they raise in donations will benefit the Marie Keating Breast Cancer Foundation. They're flying a Piper Cherokee-Six PA32-300, which, as you can see below, offers a few challenges to global navigation. Here's their diary entry for the week that ended Sunday, June 8, 2003:

Original plans to cross the Pacific from the east coast of Australia were changed a few months ago because of the limited range of our aircraft. Due to media and fund raising commitments we departed Broome for Adelaide on a Virgin Blue commercial flight. Many thanks to Melissa at Virgin for arranging everything for us. It was really good to get back into an aeroplane and have someone else fly us somewhere. Virgin Blue began a direct service between Broome and Adelaide a number of weeks ago reducing the journey time to about 3 and half hours.

Back To The Beginning

Adelaide was where we both did our flight training about four years ago. Helen and Graham, good friends of Paul's invited us to stay with them for the week. Being back here felt like we had never been away. The weather was more home like and so far it has rained for three of the days we have been here. We sat and watched the most spectacular electrical storm last night, happy not to be flying.

First thing Monday morning Paul went to visit St Dominic's College in North Adelaide. The school presented a cheque for the Marie Keating Foundation from money they had raised over the past few months. Pam Tobin has been fantastic in organising media and fund raising prior to our arrival and has raised several thousand dollars. All monies raised while here are being directed to Canteen Australia. A number of TV and radio interviews were carried out such was the interest in WF2003 here.

A visit to Bae Systems Flight Training Centre at Parafield Airport was an opportunity to catch up with friends and again great interest was shown from all the instructors and students we met up with. Alan has been very busy over the past few days plotting our course for the Pacific crossing. All is going well and nearly everything is in place. We have a few days in Darwin before setting off next Wednesday. PH-SMD has been undergoing maintenance in Broome in our absence. Our aircraft requires a new voltage regulator to be fitted and thanks to DHL Worldwide Express for getting one to us at very short notice.

FMI: www.worldflight2003.ie/index.htm