Polly Vacher - Wings Around the World: The Exhilarating Story of One Womans Epic Flight from the North Pole to Antarctica

A s Patron of Flying Scholarships for the Disabled (FSD), I would like to add my appreciation to this publication by Polly Vacher. All of the author proceeds, as well as a percentage of the publishers, will go to FSD and will make an enormous difference to the disabled people given the chance to re-build their lives through the challenge of learning to fly.

My late husband King Hussein was involved with the charity from its inception in 1983 when it was established in memory of his wartime hero and friend Sir Douglas Bader. He personally flew with several of the scholars and contributed in many ways to the success of the charity.

Polly Vachers epic flight was an amazing achievement, not only by the sheer endurance displayed in the pages of this book, but by the funds and awareness raised for FSD worldwide.

I sincerely hope that this book brings the success it so richly deserves.

Shes Barking Mad

J on Fynes, the recently retired Commandant of RAF Cranwell, introduced me. Shes barking mad! he said with a wry smile, beaming at the students who had packed the hall of Bedstone College, the Shropshire girls school where Jon was Chairman of the Governors.

I was guest of honour at the annual prize day and after presenting an impressive array of awards I began talking about my polar flight. A rapt silence fell over the hall as I recounted the training and meticulous preparation needed for a round-the-world solo flight in a single-engine aircraft, and there was a gasp as I told them about my engine failure over the frozen Arctic wastes. When Id finished Jon stood up to thank me. I told you she was barking mad! he reiterated with an even bigger grin.

Having now flown over 2,000 hours it is hard to believe that it all began with a sponsored skydive, the idea for which was first planted by a chance remark at another prize day at our own childrens school where I learned that you could do a skydive in tandem with an instructor. My next-door neighbour and old friend, Jean Barton, provided the catalyst. She volunteered to commandeer sponsors if I did the skydive for charity. I hated asking people for money, so that seemed easy enough six months before the arranged date. When the time grew closer I began to feel nervous.

As the plane chugged up to 12,000ft I can well remember thinking to myself, If ever I get out of this alive, I will never do it again. Sitting on the metal floor of a Brit-Norman Islander, I was strapped to tall, handsome Andy House who was also contributing to my downfall although for him, it was just another tandem jump. The door opened and a couple of jumpers leapt out.

Oh my God! I thought. I could hardly bear to look down. As I sat in the door and Andy checked the straps I felt like running away, but there was nowhere to run. Terror took a grip and my end looked near.

You will have the time of your life, were Andys last words indelibly imprinted on my mind. Before I had more time to think we launched into space. After the initial unwelcome feeling of freefalling, I was overcome with the most exhilarating sense of peace and wonder. Once at terminal velocity of 120 mph, the sensation of falling disappeared and I was flying like a bird. The clouds puffed around us and amazingly I could use my arms and legs to move about. I was filled with an unimaginable sense of awe. From that moment there was no looking back.