Long Haul Traveller

Trawling through a recent issue of Air Britain I noted that Piper PA28-236 Dakota G-FRGN had been cancelled from the UK register recently as having been destroyed. A quick search via google produced a document advising that on 29 June 2009 the aircraft, flown by its owner Polly Vacher, overran a grass runway during its landing roll at North Moreton, Oxfordshire causing damage to the port wing, engine mountings and propellor. The likely cause of the runway excursion was the pilot not appreciating the grass being wet from recent shower activity.

G-FRGN visited Auckland during January-February 2004, arriving from Pago Pago 30 January and departing the following day to Dunedin. 07 February the Dakota arrived at Tauranga from Christchurch then headed to Paraparaumu 08 February. To Wellington and Rotorua 09 February and Auckland 10 February. Polly headed direct to Sydney then onto Bankstown 15 February.

The visit was part of her journey that started on 6 May 2003 when she set out from Birmingham International Airport on a Voyage to the Ice for the charity "Flying Scholarships for the Disabled" flying over the North Pole, Antarctica and all seven continents, returning on 27 April 2004, becoming the first solo woman flyer over the polar regions.

More at http://www.worldwings.org/index.htm