Polly Vacher M.B.E. - Aviatrix

Polly Mary Anne Vacher was born in Oxfordshire in 1944. A gifted musician, she qualified as a physiotherapist and worked in the field until 1968. She subsequently worked as a music teacher and became involved in fund raising for the disabled.

Her search for challenges led her to attempt a tandem skydive to raise money at the age of 45. 245 jumps later she was hooked on air sports and obtained her private pilots license in 1994.

She moved with her husband shortly afterwards to Australia. There she promptly flew him around the circumference of Australia, up the middle to Ayres Rock and Alice Springs and back across the Simpson Desert. For a newly qualified pilot this was an extraordinary feat. They landed on dirt strips in the real outback, and on an island in the middle of the crocodile-infested Gulf of Carpenteria.

In 1997 she flew solo in a single engine Piper Dakota across the North Atlantic. Meeting her husband in America , they flew together around the periphery of the United States and Canada. She then flew back across the Atlantic solo, losing the lighting on her primary instruments half way.

In 2001 she flew solo around the World in the same Piper Dakota. This included a sixteen hour crossing from Hawaii to California. Her flights raised money for disabled flying scholarships.

She was awarded the MBE for her efforts.

Polly recently attempted to be the first person to solo circumnavigate the World pole to pole. Flying her Piper Dakota, she almost made it, but was forced back from the South Pole by bad weather. She was again raising money for the charity 'Flying Scholarships for the Disabled
'.

She is married with three grown up sons.