Welcome home

Down to earth

It all seems very surreal to Ryan. As he sits in his home on the NSW south coast, he has just returned from anepic adventure in anyone’s language.

At 19 years of age he has become the youngest person to fly solo around the world.

Given a hero’s welcome and even a feature on 60 Minutes, Ryan has hardly had time to catch his breath or even reflect upon his flight to any great extent in the days since

Fitting your life into the back of a light aircraft laden with ferry tanks is no small undertaking in itself.

his September 7 return. It has been a whirlwind, but more than that it has been the fruition of years of planning. Behind the scenes there was a huge learning curve as Ryan sought to put the logistics in place to support such an undertaking.

He had to learn about tax laws and contend with an unexpected aircraft change only weeks before departure. Dealing with the media, seeking permits, locating suppliers and fund-raising for his nominated charity were just a few of the issues that were far from the skies, but still vital to the flight’s success.

Ultimately, his successful return was really the culmination of both a global circumnavigation and the many less glamorous tasks that allowed it to take place.

Even along the way, unforeseen hurdles rose up before him. The unsettled political environment and unravelling violence cast a shadow over the Egyptian leg of the flight. From the time he was in the United States, the situation was worsening and yet he took each day at a time, concentrating on the flight at hand with one eye on Egypt. When he was in Greece he finally and reluctantly decided to divert around the ancient country. Even this decision bore added pressure as the Egyptian Consulate attempted to change his mind.

Consequently, as I now begin to chat with Ryan about his flight, he shares a sincere sense of relief. A weight has been lifted from his shoulders as he was always aware that for all of the great support he received, the ultimate fate of the flight rested with him. And while he took every step to mitigate against problems that may arise, the spectre of a very public failure was always there.

Only when he touched down back at Albion Park was that burden lifted, but there had been a good many special moments along the way.

Flight of a lifetime

Fitting your life into the back of a light aircraft laden with ferry tanks is no small undertaking. Ryan soon became expert at surviving with minimal luggage and rolling clothes into ever-tightening spaces. Spare parts were at a premium with the spark plugs, filters and oil proving a priority and the oil proving to be rather heavy.

He wore a life jacket at all times over water and a bulky immersion suit for his crossing of the North Atlantic. His constant companion on the seat beside him was ‘Bob’ – an inflatable life raft. His flight spanned a temperature range from -9 degrees to 45 degrees and saw him breathe oxygen through nasal prongs as the Cirrus spanned the Pacific Ocean at Flight Level 130. Both man and machine were exposed to a range of operating environments, but in the 170 hours aloft, there were some truly special moments.

So special, that Ryan does not hesitate as he rattles off a handful memories that stand out from the others for a range of differing reasons. Firstly, there were the lights of Santa Barbara emerging from the darkness and the sea fog loitering along the US coastline. In this case they were not just the warming glow of another city, they marked the completion of one of the journey’s most challenging sectors.

Fifteen hours earlier he had lined up in the darkness at Hilo Airport in Hawaii with over 2,200nm of ocean ahead of him. The challenge was daunting as he advanced the throttle and set the Cirrus on its way into the night sky. The sun rose and set again faster than he had ever seen, all the while he calculated his speed and fuel consumption on this critical leg.

The winds were not quite as beneficial as had been forecast. He took the aircraft from 9,000ft to 11,000ft and then to 13,000ft looking for friendlier winds and better fuel consumption. All the while his point-of-no-return was growing closer at which time he must return to Hawaii or accept that he was committed to continue on towards the US mainland. A little more ground speed now and with tailwinds predicted to kick in a few hours ahead, the calculation was complete. Ryan would continue. After hours of tense calculations, miles of ocean and darkness, the lights of Santa Barbara were a sight Ryan would never forget.

In contrast, the busy skies of the Airventure Airshow at Oshkosh were a far cry from sitting alone over the Pacific Ocean – a line of 20 aircraft, all funnelling into the Wisconsin Airport and being steered towards the dot on the runway that marked their landing point. Despite hours of watching videos and researching the arrival, the sea of parked aircraft andthe sight of his own green dot in the windscreen was an exciting moment for the young pilot.

History overcame the excitement when he crossed the English Channel. Looking down on the White Cliffs of Dover and turning towards France, he could almost see the ancient armadas as he passed through the very same airspace where Spitfires and Messerschmitts had once duelled. A place that had once only existed in his Australian schoolbooks was now sweeping beneath his very own wings.

Closer to home, the sight of crystal waters rolling against the shoreline at Broome was the final special moment Ryan spoke of without pausing. Australia – his homeland. Even though there was still some way to travel, crossing the Australian coast meant that he was back on his home turf and the scenery, food, airspace and friendly faces were once again familiar. The journey was nearly over, he could almost taste it. Welcome home As Ryan set out from Broken Hill bound for Wollongong on that final day, the crowd was already gathering to meet him. The RAAF Roulettes formation team was putting on a display as he worked his way across NSW. I even managed to have a word with him from the flightdeck at 38,000ft. At the time Ryan was hundreds of miles away being pushed along by a substantial tailwind.

Normally tailwinds are a good thing and during that long haul from Hawaii I’m sure Ryan would have been wishing for them. However, when a finely timed and choreographed welcome home event has been planned, it can throw the schedule out somewhat. As a consequence, the young solo pilot was left with some time on his hands, so he dawdled a little to the west of Sydney with his final destination tantalisingly close.

There was still an air-to-air photographic sequence to complete,

. . . the flight put his commitment to the test.

so he wheeled about the sky devoid of any pressure as he waited for the helicopter and its camera crew to arrive. All the while, excited family, friends and a growing crowd looked skywards for any hint of the Cirrus in the cloudless sky overhead.

When the helicopter approached from the east it was yet another highlight for Ryan. After so many hours aloft and alone over recent weeks, the sight of another aircraft close by and there to greet him was exhilarating. The relative motion of the two aircraft as they passed by, set to the backdrop of the Australian countryside reminded Ryan in the nicest of ways that the journey was drawing to a close. After a series of shots from a broad range of angles, he parted company with the helicopter. Once again his sights were set on Wollongong and he set heading for the Steel City.

His level of elation had risen somewhat when he flew in company with the camera ship, but his heart almost leapt from his chest as he crossed the escarpment and Wollongong lay ahead. If the footage ever surfaces, Ryan suggests watching his face as he turned base leg before landing as his excitement poured forth before concentrating on a decent landing in front of a thousand waiting cameras.

His skill and the fickle hand of fate delivered the smoothest of touchdowns before he taxied his trusty Cirrus between a vee formed by the RAAF’s parked scarlet PC-9s. The propeller stopped and he climbed out on the wing to rousing cheers. He was reunited with his rightly proud parents and his team of supporters as reporters waited their turn for a word with the world traveller.

For his part, Ryan was most touched by the sea of excited children that just wanted to touch the aeroplane that had been all the way around the world. In many ways, their excitement and dreams was what the flight and now the journey ahead is all about.

Blue skies ahead

Towering cumulonimbus clouds and floating icebergs, lonely outposts and buzzing cities, Ryan has seen them all. Those images are fixed in his memory, but now his focus is firmly on the future. He wants to share his amazing journey and inspire youngsters across Australia. Ideally he would like to fly around the nation to visit schools, but insists that he’ll drive if he has to. I’ve learned that determination is a strong character trait in Ryan.

Before he ever set out on his flight, Ryan saw himself as a “Yes or No” person. Once his mind is set on a course of action he will commit to it 100 per cent and succeed or go down fighting. He also expressed how the flight put his commitment to the test. If he had decided to build an aeroplane in his Dad’s shed, then he could throw the spanner down and watch TV whenever it got too tough. However, publically proclaiming that you’re going to fly solo around the world leaves nowhere to hide.

Ryan has many projects underway and ideas racing through his mind. He is an inspiring young man to listen to and his genuine commitment to the task means that a boundless future lies ahead. In commercial aviation, corporate jets and warbirds have caught his eye, but I am sure there is even more in store down the road.

For the moment, Ryan deserves to relax for just a moment to reflect and enjoy the weight lifting from his shoulders. To catch up with friends and ponder his future. Being the youngest person to fly solo around the world is a dream that Ryan made sure came true. Personally, I can’t wait to see what comes next.

Welcome home.