Welcome to our website. You are invited to join Dick and I on an exotic air adventure.
My name is Ed Galkin, a practicing dentist and Cessna 210 owner. My Co-Captain Dick Sollner and I are going to fly around the world, again. We each had done it previously hence the "again". Once is not enough when there are so many places left to visit.
Our mission on this flight is to help individuals coping with a rare genetic disease called Fibrodysplasia Ossificans Progressiva (FOP) and help find a cure to it. This disorder causes bone to form in muscles, tendons, ligaments and other connective tissues. Bridges of extra bone develop across the joints, progressively restricting movement. Because of its rarity, research funding is very limited. Dr. Frederick S. Kaplan of the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia is leading the genetic research on FOP. When we learned that Whitney Weldon, a twelve year old girl from New Jersey was diagnosed with FOP we decided to give our trip a purpose. We hope that our flight around the world will in some small way increase public awareness and raise money for the International FOP Association.
If you look at our proposed itinerary you will see we go south to Lima, Peru and then head westward through the South Pacific, Australia, Indian Ocean, southern Africa, South Atlantic, Brazil and home. Being mostly south of the Equator puts us in their winter with fair weather and favorable Southeast Trade winds. As we proceed westbound each 1,000 miles gives us an extra hour of daylight. Since three of our legs are in excess of 2,500 miles that gives us a 14 1/2 hour day. It's nice to arrive in daylight at strange destinations.
Our plan is to spend two nights at most destinations, three nights for routine maintenance or where especially attractive. Of course weather or mechanical problems can alter these plans.
Skyplan of Calgary, Alberta will be our flight planner. They will provide landing and overflight permits, fuel availability, weather briefing, flight filing and ground handling.
Because of the long distances involved our fuel capacity is tripled giving us a 3,000-mile range. This requires seats 3,4,5 and 6 replaced with three tanks for an additional 170 gallons. With full tanks we will be 25% over normal take off weight and require an FAA Temporary Airworthiness Certificate. Of course this extra weight reduces our cruise speed until fuel burn off lightens our weight.
Preparation includes HF Radio installation (for overwater communications), navigation charts and approach plates (supplied by Jeppesen), insurance, vaccinations, survival equipment (life raft and locator beacon) and to assure Avgas at Easter and Cocos Islands prepayment and transportation.
Dick and I have spent months getting things together. We are now ready to roll.
Once started on July 3rd visit this website for periodic reports and photos of our progress. Webmaster Pascal Landi promises to keep you up to date.
Again, Welcome to join us on a challenging flight and an important mission, FOP.