Earthrounders & Brave Pilots

A friend of mine, Lynda Lee, pointed me to check out a site http://www.norvilleaustralia.com.au/ and I did. I am glad I did because Peter Norvill who is the owner/operator of Rock Dhu, a sheep and cattle property of 4,000 acres, 25 km NE of Murrurundi in the Upper Hunter Valley of NSW; was an Earthrounder. An Earthrounder is a pilot who has flown around the world in a light aircraft. Go to http://www.earthrounders.com/ for fascinating facts and information.

Peter was the first Australian who flew around the world in a plane solo. He achieved this amazing feat in 1988 (20 years ago) in his Cessna Hawk XP (Aircraft Rego VH-PSV), alone. For his achievement Peter was awarded an Order Of Australia Medal.

He had also achieved many firsts including the longest non-stop flight in Australia.

I was so impressed by Peter's achievements from reading his blog that I was compelled to write him and to want to buy a copy of his book "Solo Around The World" personally autographed by Peter. Lynda wrote me today and said she has got the book for me and I can't wait to read and be inspired by Peter Norvill. Peter I hope you do not mind that I include a picture of you when you were 13 years old in my blog.

Peter Norvill

I have read a few books by pilots or on pilots who have, against all odds, flown solo or with another pilot, into many places around the world. They never fail to inspire me. In many ways these pilots are great examples to me and make me want to find out more about what their unique abilities are and what drive them to achieve what they had. I have listed below the books I have read and I hope you will get a chance to read them as well and be inspired by these individuals. All these books are available from Amazon.com.

"Pilots Of The Line" on being an airline pilot before and since 9-11-2001 by Sky Masterson

"North Star Over My Shoulder" an engaging memoir of his flying life by Bob Buck

"Forever Flying" fifty years of high flying adventures from Barnstorming in pop planes to dog fighting Germans to testing supersonic jets, by Bob Hoover, foreword by Gen Chuck Yeager

"Zero 3 Bravo" solo across America in a small plane; all about seeing America and about the American dream of being your own person, by Mariana Gosnell (This is my all time favorite read)

"Flying Carpet" the soul of an airplane, by Greg Brown

"Air Vagabonds" ocean, airmen, and a quest for adventure, by Anthony J Vallone

"Chasing The Wind" an autobiography of Steve Fossett

"Fate Is The Hunter" by Ernest K Gann

"Freedom Flight" two pilots flew around the world in a microlight, by Alan Honeyborne and Ricky de Agrela

"Flying South" a pilot's inner journey, by Barbara Cushman Rowell

"Wager With The Wind" the Alaskan pilot Don Sheldon story, by James Greiner

"A Gift Of Wings" aspire to this kind of flight ... dare to be different, independent, self reliant, alone; by Richard Bach

Lynda and partner Dale live on their 500 acres farm (with its own mountain) near Scone, NSW in the Hunter Valley.