Teen pilot Rose Donald sets new world record raising 70k for charity
A Victorian high-school student has become the youngest female pilot to break a world record with her impressive solo fight – raising thousands for charity in the process. Here’s why she did it
READING LEVEL:
A Melbourne teenager has touched down at her home runway, becoming the youngest female pilot to fly solo around Australia in a general aviation* aircraft.
Once verified*, Rose Donald, who turned 18 during the 40-day, 15,000km journey, will officially become a world record holder, on top of raising $70,000 for a charity that flies country kids to medical appointments.
“It’s pretty crazy, I’ll be honest. I don’t think it’s settled in yet,” Rose told 9News from the Essendon tarmac on Saturday.
“It’s been so incredible to see all the support, all the people who’ve come out to see me land, and just how behind the whole cause everyone has gotten,” she said.
The high school student has raised more than $70,000 for the charity Little Wings. Charity chief executive Clare Pearson said the funds raised were enough to support 42 regional and remote families in getting their children to specialist treatments.
Flight data from the final week of her journey shows the 18-year-old typically spent three hours in the air per day, but legs such as Launceston to Mallacoota – flying from Tasmania to Victoria’s far eastern tip – required five-and-a-half hours in the cockpit*.
The Year 12 student and daughter of a recreational pilot exited her trusty Cessna on Saturday in blustery conditions, and will try to catch up on school work come Monday.
Before the final leg, Rose said the journey had been “an incredible experience”, valuable for personal development inside and outside the pilot’s seat.
“I’ve been living independently for over a month now, and over the time I’ve been away I’ve turned 18,” she said.
“I’m coming back an adult, and I’m also coming back a lot more equipped for life beyond high school.
“I’ve also become a much better pilot … I’m a lot more confident.”
Little Wings transports sick children from NSW, Queensland and the ACT to specialist medical care in capital cities. The charity has flown five million kilometres since 2012, logging 2385 flights last year alone.
Little Wings pilots those children from their homes to urgent, often frequently required medical appointments which typically are only available at major hospitals.
“I’m glad I can do my bit to spread awareness around the country about Little Wings,” Rose said.
“By doing this trip, not only was I working towards something that’ll lead me into a career beyond school for myself, but I was also branching out into the community and being able to make a real difference to people.
“That was something that really kept me going.
“The Little Wings marketing manager and I speak quite frequently, and he often sends me photos of people who have come and started volunteering at Little Wings, or people who have donated.
“I’m really proud that I’ve been able to do that.”
Early in Rose’s journey, the Little Wings chief executive said she was “deeply impressed” by the young pilot’s talent, as well as her effort to make sure her mission could fly the flag for a good cause.
“Little Wings is an organisation made possible by community, for community, and Rose is an extension of that concept of people helping people and making a positive change in the world,” Ms Pearson said.
While Rose believes she has undoubtedly qualified to become the Guinness world record holder now she’s touched down, she said there was work to be done behind the scenes to prove her case.
“I’ll have to submit evidence* and see what comes back, but I’m fairly confident that … I’ve done it,” she said.
When asked what propelled* her throughout the journey, Rose told NewsWire she could not have achieved her goal without her community.
“Aviation is such a supportive community,” she said. “We’ve been willing to help one another and help younger people get into the industry, which is great.”
“It’s really great to have people to talk to and not feel like you’re going through your training alone because it can get a bit tough sometimes.”
POLL
GLOSSARY
- aviation: the art or science of flying aircraft, including design, production and maintenance
- verified: proved that something exists or is true, or made certain that something is correct
- cockpit: in an aeroplane or racing car, the cockpit is the part where the pilot or driver sits
- evidence: facts, information and documents that give reason to believe that something is true
- propelled: to push or move something somewhere, often with a lot of force
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QUICK QUIZ
- How many kilometres did Rose travel and how many days did it take?
- How much money did Rose manage to raise for children’s charity Little Wings?
- How many flights did Little Wings log last year alone?
- How many kilometres has it flown since 2012?
- What is the Guinness world record Rose will officially hold once her logs are verified?
LISTEN TO THIS STORY
CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES
1. World record and fundraising
Rose Donald has achieved two amazing feats aiming to make a new Guinness world record and raising an incredible $70,000 for a worthy charity.
Which one do you think is more important to her?
Write down the pros for each of these achievements and see which one you rate higher.
Raising $70,000 for Little Wings
Pros:
Youngest female pilot to fly solo around Australia
Pros:
Time: allow 15 minutes to complete this activity
Curriculum Links: English, Personal and Social, Critical and Creative Thinking
2. Extension
Most 18-year-old girls’ lives would look a lot different to Rose Donald’s.
Compare an average 18-year-old girl’s life to Rose’s as she worked towards her latest achievement.
Average 18-year-old girl:
Rose Donald’s life:
Time: allow 10 minutes to complete this activity
Curriculum Links: English, Personal and Social, Critical and Creative Thinking
VCOP ACTIVITY
I spy nouns
Nouns are places, names (of people and objects), and time (months or days of the week).
How many nouns can you find in the article?
Can you sort them into places, names and time?
Pick three nouns and add an adjective (describing word) to the nouns.