British High-flier With Heart Of Gold
Illawarra Mercury
Wednesday March 21, 2001
Around-the-world solo aviator Polly Vacher left Moruya yesterday and flew to Cooma to open Australia's only dedicated flying school for the disabled.
The British aviator had spent a couple of days resting at Narooma before continuing her odyssey to raise funds for disabled flying scholarships.
Her Piper Dakota will be the smallest aircraft, flown solo by a woman, to circumnavigate the world via Australia and the Pacific.
On her fly-in to Cooma she was accompanied by the disabled school's owner Michael Apps in his World War II Miles Messenger.
Mrs Vacher attended a civic reception in Cooma where she presented certificates of achievement to the flying school for the disabled's first students Rebecca Sexton and Fiona Johnstone.
Mrs Vacher is passionate about the difference learning to fly can make to disabled people.
``It helps them rebuild their lives," she said.
``It really is quite extraordinary to see them respond to the intellectual and physical challenge of learning to fly."
She left Birmingham International Airport on January 12 with huge amounts of sponsorship and a dedicated support committee of five members of the British Women's Pilots Association.
``Any money I raise in Australia will go towards an Australian fund to provide scholarships for students here," she said.
She will return to Birmingham on May 14 ``if all is well".
Mrs Vacher writes a diary each day which is emailed to England and incorporated into her web site at www.worldwings.org
© 2001 Illawarra Mercury
