Robert DeLaurentis lives an adventurous life. His recent book Peace Pilot: To the Ends of the Earth and Beyond tells of his pole-to-pole circumnavigation of our planet. Yes, he flew from the South Pole to the North Pole and set seven world records during the journey. This was his SECOND circumnavigation.
The first time he flew around the Earth, he took a roughly equatorial path. That journey is documented in
I met Robert DeLaurentis in 2017 to interview him for General Aviation News. Over the years of following his adventures, it was the pole-to-pole journey that looked impossible. For all his preparation, if he had a catastrophic engine failure in Antarctica, he would not survive it because it would take weeks for rescuers to arrive.
WATCH THE DOCUMENTARY
You can watch the documentary of Robert DeLaurentis's epic journey on Apple TV and Amazon. Watch the trailer for Peace Pilot on Amazon.
If you're not afraid, your dream wasn't big enough. --Robert DeLaurentis
As you can expect, the planning and preparation for such a long and hazardous journey takes years. To fly from pole to pole required far more arduous training and aircraft modifications. I wrote about his preparation in General Aviation News. Read about his preparation here (Pole to Pole Circumnavigations: Aircraft and Logistics Preparation) and (Preparing Mentally and Physically to Fly to Both Poles). Then ask yourself if you would take the risks.
If you enjoy reading true adventure stories, you will vicariously experience Robert DeLaurentis's journeys in his books.
In full disclosure, I was one of the editors of Peace Pilot. Robert kept a journal and wrote blogs about his voyages which were compiled and organized into the book. As a pilot, I am astounded at the complexity of switching fuel tanks, communicating with foreign air traffic controllers, running experiments, and staying calm while navigating to the ends of the earth.
Robert has begun a new adventure--on the ground. He purchased and is renovating an airport in Washington, near his home. You can read about it in the General Aviation News article "From Dream to Reality, Almost."
Below, Robert spoke at Oshkosh about his journey. Robert DeLaurentis and his aircraft arrive at SUN 'n FUN Fly-in and Expo in Lakeland, Florida. Shown here with Joni and Maury Fisher.
May your life be a satisfying adventure!
