A Melbourne teenager has touched down at her home runway, becoming the youngest female pilot to fly solo around Australia in a general aviation aircraft.
Rose Donald, who turned 18 during the 40-day, 15,000km journey, once verified will official become a world record holder, on top of raising $70,000 for a charity which flies country kids to medical appointments.
“It’s pretty crazy, I’ll be honest. I don’t think it’s settled in yet,” Ms Donald told 9News from the Essendon tarmac on Saturday.
“It’s been so incredible to see all the support, all the people who’ve come out to see me land, and just how behind the whole cause everyone has gotten.”
The high school student has raised more than $70,000 for the charity Little Wings. Charity chief executive Clare Pearson said the funds raised were enough to support 42 regional and remote families get their children to specialist treatments.
Flight data from the final week of her journey shows the 18-year-old typically spent three hours in the air per day, but legs such as Launceston to Mallacoota – in Victoria’s far eastern tip – required five-and-a-half hours in the cockpit.
The year 12 student and daughter of a recreational pilot exited her trusty Cessna on Saturday in blustery conditions, and will try to catch up on school work come Monday.
Before the final leg, Ms Donald said the journey had been “an incredible experience”, valuable for personal development inside and outside the pilot’s seat.
“I’ve been living independently for over a month now, and over the time I’ve been away I’ve turned 18,” she said.
“I’m coming back an adult, and I’m also coming back a lot more equipped for life beyond high school.
“I’ve also become a much better pilot … I’m a lot more confident.”
Little Wings gets children from NSW, Queensland and the ACT to specialist medical care in capital cities. The charity has flown five million kilometres since 2012, logging 2385 flights last year.
Little Wings pilots ferry those children from their homes to urgent, often frequently required medical appointments which typically are only done at major hospitals.
“I’m glad I can do my bit to spread awareness around the country about Little Wings,” Ms Donald said.
“By doing this trip, not only was I working towards something that’ll lead me into a career beyond school for myself, but I was also branching out into the community and being able to make a real difference to people.
“That was something that really kept me going,” Ms Donald said.
“The Little Wings marketing manager and I speak quite frequently, and he often sends me photos of people who have come and started volunteering at Little Wings, or people who have donated.
“I’m really proud that I’ve been able to do that.”
Early in Ms Donald’s journey, the Little Wings chief executive said she was “deeply impressed” by the young pilot’s talent, as well as her effort to make sure her mission could raise the flag for a good cause.
“Little Wings is an organisation made possible by community, for community, and Rose is an extension of that concept of people helping people and making a positive change in the world,” Ms Pearson said.
While Ms Donald believes she will have undoubtedly be a Guinness world record holder when she touches down, she said there would need to be work done behind the scenes to prove her case.
“I’ll have to submit evidence and see what comes back, but I’m fairly confident that by the time I land tomorrow I’ll know that I’ve done it,” she said.
When asked what her main propeller was throughout the journey, Ms Donald told NewsWire she could not have done it without her community.
“Aviation is such a supportive community. We’ve been willing to help one another and help younger people get into the industry, which is great,” she said.
“It’s really great to have people to talk to and not feel like you’re going through your training alone because it can get a bit tough sometimes.”
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