Carol Foy and CarolAnn Garratt getting into the Mooney at
AirVenture 2008 for a 24-hour “sit in” to simulate a day spent in
the aircraft during their around-the-world dash.
TRANS-WORLD FLIGHT: The Record
The prior world record was 54. 6 mph, set by two men in a Bonanza in 1988.
Garratt and Foy’s record stands at a calculated speed of 115. 35 mph and was
ratified by the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale, for “Speed Around
the World, Westbound (for piston engine airplanes weighing 2,205 < 3,858
pounds).” Their flight was selected by the National Aeronautic Association
as one of the “Most Memorable Aviation and Space Records of 2008.” Their
actual flight path and time en route was tracked by TracPlus Global Ltd.
Total flight time: 158 hours – Total ground time: 46 hours
Garratt attributes her early love of aviation to her late
father. “My dad loved flying and planes, and when we
came over to the States from England in 1964, he had the
opportunity to take flying lessons,” adds Garratt, smiling.
“All the kids tried it at one point, and three of us ended
up with our licenses. I worked at the airport while I was
in high school, and a brother was working as a lineboy
there. I started learning to fly in a Cub and soloed in a
Citabria, but didn’t get my license until after college.
Then I was working, climbing the corporate ladder, and I
stopped flying for 13 years.”
Later, she made it her New Year’s resolution to return
to flying, and did so on January 1, 1996. Interestingly, she
confesses that she “was really bitten by the bug more the
second time than the first time. I had about 400 hours by
then, and now I have 3,500 hours. So I fly a lot more now
and have three planes and a hangar.”
Garratt’s interest in aviation extends into the realm of
flying in service for others, and even homebuilding. She
flies Angel Flights and is on the board of that organization for the southeastern region, she has flown 300 Young
Eagles, and she is also a flight instructor. “I teach Civil Air
Patrol cadets—they’re focused, driven, they do all their
studying at home,” shares Garratt, “and I enjoy teaching
them because they’re not doing it for any other reason
than their love of aviation.”
It’s evident that Garratt is energized by sharing the
sky with others—whether it’s giving a ride or teaching a
student. “When students solo, their smiles are just unbelievable, and you can’t wipe it off their faces for a week,”
she laughs. “It’s great! And then the Young Eagles, usually
the younger group, are just so verbal and excited about
their flight—so you get that immediate feedback. Both of
those experiences, repeated several times a year, are just
really rewarding.”
She has also acquired her airframe and powerplant
(A&P) certificate and invested three years in building a
RANS S-7S, which she test-flew in December 2006. “Now
I have 308 hours in it and love it,” she proclaims, “and
two years ago, I bought a single-seat EAA Biplane, which
is a lot of fun to fly. The three airplanes all have their own
purpose—and the Mooney is for traveling.”
“Dash for a Cure”
Her modified Mooney is a world-class traveling
machine. Garratt, who lives in Ocala, Florida, invited
fellow Mooney pilot Carol Foy, of Spicewood, Texas, to
be her copilot for her second around-the-world flight
(Garratt previously flew around the world in 2003).
Foy, a winning participant in the Air Race Classic (an
all-woman cross-country race), is also a flight instructor who currently flies professionally as a contract pilot
in a King Air and a small jet. Together the two women,
with excellent support from their ground crew, set a
new speed record for flying around the world, westbound, in December 2008. (See page 65 for details.) The
primary objective of their eight and a half day flight
was to raise a million dollars for ALS (commonly known
as Lou Gehrig’s disease) research.
Why ALS? Because both women have been profoundly touched by it. “My mother died from ALS,”
shares Garratt, “and Carol’s cousin has ALS right now.
