Age Not A Barrier For This Captain

Pulse

oi-Gowrish Babu

By Gowrish Babu

Tuesday, May 4, 2010, 10:04

Age does not dampen the enthusiasm of the 74-year-old captain William M. Charney, who is preparing to fly solo across the world. He is set for a world tour from Newzealand across Asia,the Middle East and Europe.

Charney, who had already clocked over 33,000 hours in different aircrafts, is a Vietnam war veteran.

He is employing a pre-war restored single engine bi-plane- Bill's Red Rockette for his mission.

He wants to make this leisurely and memorable and not with in a set-time. "I am not racing against anything. This is a personal challenge and adventure for me as I am able to meet people and see as many world heritage sites. And what better way than to do it low level," says this dynamic senior captain.

The idea of the world tour clicked him after he came to meet a '' couple from New Mexico, Therry and Sherry Wheaton, who were on a holiday in New Zealand. They were on a vacation on board a Cessna 172 with Flynn Tours which operated out of their own private airfield on South Island, where Charney was a pre-war Tiger Moth.