Two Iowa pilots are in the midst of a flight around the world, designed to raise money for Rotary International’s mission of eradicating polio in the world.
Originally slated to take off in March 2020, the Flight To End Polio was sidelined by the pandemic. But not giving up, pilots Peter Teahen and John Ockenfels took off May 5, 2023, on the epic journey.
As of May 31, the duo had already landed in 14 countries, with another two months of flying ahead of them. They plan to wrap up the around-the-world flight July 30, returning to their home base of Eastern Iowa Airport (KCID) in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
Teahen and Ockenfels are covering the entire cost of the flight — estimated at $70,000 — so every dollar raised during the flight will go to the Rotary Foundation Polio Plus Program.
You can learn more about the journey, including tracking the flight and donating to the cause, at FlightToEndPolio.com.
Check out General Aviation News’ story on the initiative here.
They decided to use a Cessna 210 instead of the Lance.