January 11, 2020 EAA Chapter 17 Luncheon Banquet with guest speaker, CarolAnn
Garratt
CarolAnn Garratt, Gainesville, Florida, is a former manager with a Fortune 500 company. She earned her private pilot license in 1978 and her instrument rating in 1980. In 1996, she completed her commercial license and bought a Mooney in 2000. After her mother suffered and died from ALS, she flew around the world in 2003 to raise awareness and donations for ALS. Not content to just fly, CarolAnn built her first plane between 2004 and 2006 and took up flying gliders in 2014. She has over 6000 hours and flies more than 250 hours a year including flying students with the EAA Young Eagles program, the sick and needy with Angel Flights, and instructing cadets with the Civil Air Patrol. In 2015, she flew her homebuilt RANS S-7S to Alaska and back.
In order to do more for ALS research, CarolAnn spent 18 months planning her second world flight, a world record attempt, and, with co-pilot Carol Foy, set out from Orlando International on December 2nd, 2008 to fly around the world westbound. The planning paid off as the first six legs went like clockwork. The seventh leg, across Africa, had its difficulties, but with the help of their ground crew, everything continued almost on schedule. They arrived back in Orlando after 8 days, 12 hours and 20 minutes, just 90 minutes ahead of a massive cold front that was plowing its way across Florida. The Federation Aeronautique Internationale certified their flight as the world record on March 16, 2009. Their overall speed was more than double the old world record.
The first two world flights (and subsequent books and presentations) raised over $300,000 for ALS research. But, CarolAnn didn’t see much during the second flight. So, in May 2011, she set out again, eastbound this time, to slowly circumnavigate the world and to see many of the countries that she had previously missed. After 11 months, she returned to the US and wrote a third book. To date, donations to ALS research are over $434,000.
CarolAnn’s presentations are fast-paced and packed with pictures and exciting stories of the flights. She has received numerous
positive testimonials. One of the most common remarks is: “I wish that I’d brought my wife and kids to this presentation. They would have loved it.
”100% of all book sales go directly to ALS Therapy Development Institute, researching a cure for Lou Gehrig’s
disease.
Upon Silver Wings: Global Adventure in a Small Plane, $20
This book is written so that you feel as if you are in the right seat watching and hearing all the action and
communication as CarolAnn flies the 15-hour leg from California to Hawaii or the 12-hour leg from Darwin,
Australia over Indonesia to Singapore. When the engine coughs, your heart leaps into your mouth. When
the radio doesn’t work, you walk step by step through the problem analysis and find a solution to allow the
flight to continue. Enjoy the flight, enjoy visiting the different countries, and feel the freedom.
Upon Silver Wings II: World-Record Adventure, $20
Read all about the flight and learn what’s involved in planning an endeavor that touches multiple time
zones, governments and continents. Learn what went right and what went wrong. Share the experience
of being in a small cockpit for 158 hours, leaving the plane only 8 times to refuel and stretch (their
ground time was only 46 hours). What did they eat? How did they go to the bathroom? How did they get
permission to cross all those countries? And, most important, what inspired Garratt and Foy to accomplish
this world record? Each book is a $20 donation to ALS.
Upon Silver Wings III: People and Places around the World, $20
Travel to many fascinating places with CarolAnn. You’ll fly between snow-covered peaks in Switzerland
and land in a valley. Getting approval to land in Haifa, Israel, and then proceed to Jordon was stressful,
but, in the end very worthwhile. Madagascar’s lemurs were amazing to watch. Celebrating the 100th anniversary
of flight in Malaysia was a privilege as well as a difficult time with mechanical problems. Milford
Sound and the Southern Alps in New Zealand were majestic. Then, of course, it’s necessary to cross the
Pacific Ocean to return home to the US.
A 40-minute high-definition DVD is also available for the 2011/12 flight. $10 donation to ALS.
Thanks to the Banquet Committee (Linda Long, Helen Picou and Judy Wayman) for arranging
this guest speaker.