20 July 2007
With disabled PPL Amanda Pantell, husband Peter and Flyer editor Philip Whiteman as passengers, Polly Vacher last night (19 July) added London Gatwick and Heathrow Airports to her tally of airfields visited in pursuit of landing at all 206 listed in the Jeppesen’s manual for the British Isles.
Single-Engine Piston aircraft are normally denied access to Heathrow (and when did you last hear of one landing there?) However Polly is raising money for a good cause and had secured permission from the authorities for a touch-and-go at both airports.
For the record, Polly’s PA-28-236 Dakota G-FRGN arrived at Gatwick Runway 08 Right at 2320 local time, and then touched down on Heathrow R09L at 2350.
Polly’s epic venture, which involves landing at all 206 airfields between 21 May and 31 July 2007 has been badly hit by weather, although this has only prevented her from visiting two airfields in Scotland (and she plans to head back north to try again). Through sponsorship and a series of fund-raising events, she is raising further money for Flying Scholarships for the Disabled.
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