Exactly 80 years after Amelia Earhart attempted her round-the-world flight, the solo journey has finally been completed in a single-engine aircraft for the first time, ending in Kestrel Airpark in San Antonio. “This was an amazing journey,” says Brian Lloyd, who flew 28,000 miles in Spirit, his plane, during his circumnavigation of the globe. “It required more of me than I ever imagined it could, but I also found in myself the reserves of patience and energy to keep going no matter what.”
Lloyd, who is 63, lives close to Kestrel Airpark in San Antonio, where he took off in his Mooney M20K 231 on May 31 and landed on August 4.
Jessica Attie
He comes from a family of aviators: Lloyd's father served as an aviator in the U.S. Navy during WWII and the Korean War, and one of his sons now flies F18s in the U.S. Navy.
Jessica Attie
When he completed his journey and landed at Kestrel, Lloyd was met by friends, neighbors, and fellow members of the local aviation community.
Jessica Attie
Like Earhart's plane, Spirit has a high frequency radio, which Lloyd used to communicate with hundreds of people across the world.
Jessica Attie
His flight took two months, including some close calls through the storms of the Intertropical Convergence Zone; a visit to Howland Island, where Earhart was lost; and a homage to a very special site in Dakar, Senegal. "I had this moment of awe and wonder when I entered the Aero Club de Dakar," Lloyd says. "I realized from the painting on the back wall that Antoine de Saint-Exupéry was a member and I was standing in a place steeped in aviation history from before WWII. It was as if I had stepped back in time to 1937 to greet Amelia Earhart and the other pioneers of aviation."
Jessica Attie
On the trip, he stopped at dozens of airports, many of which were dirt airstrips where Earhart landed 80 years ago.
Jessica Attie
He hopes to attempt Charles Lindbergh's flight from New York to Paris soon—for this pilot, a round-the-world solo flight is just the beginning.
Jessica Attie
"Every place I went I was warmly greeted with open arms, even in places where we are told that the US is not liked," Lloyd says. "The key thing to remember is that the aviation and amateur radio communities are united around aviation and radio, and not really around politics or religion."
Jessica Attie
"Every place I went people supported me, took me into their homes, fed me, helped me work on my airplane, and generally did whatever they could to assist me in getting around the world," says Lloyd.
Jessica Attie
Lloyd set out to commemorate the heroes of early flight, but today, his plane, covered in signatures from new friends across the world, stands as a testament to the strangers who helped him across the globe.
Jessica Attie
