Famous pilot and global circumnavigator lands in Tobago

The Tobago House of Assembly (THA) Tourism Division in collaboration with TIDCO welcomed world famous pilot and global circumnavigator, Polly Vacher, to Tobago on Monday for a four-day visit.

Vacher landed her single engine Piper Dakota aircraft at Crown Point International Airport shortly after 3 pm. The flight to Tobago is part of a solo trip around the world and a pro-active stance to raise global awareness and funds for the Royal International Air Tattoo Flying Scholarships for the Disabled. “My aim is to raise awareness of disability and the fact that disabled people can do things, perhaps they and everybody else think they can’t do. If we are really determined to do something then we can all do it. It’s just a question of putting our minds to it and putting a lot of effort and work into it,” explained the 59-year-old professional music teacher and part-time physiotherapist.

So far the grand total of Vacher’s fund raising effort, since her first solo flight in 2001, stands in excess of ?250,000 sterling with the names of approximately 1,200 persons, including Prince Charles, who have paid a minimum of ?25 sterling towards the charity, which is written on the wings of the craft. The fund is invested so that interest provides for annual scholarships and can be awarded in perpetuity from the annual interest on the capital sum. However, the scholarship opportunities are only extended to persons in the United Kingdom (UK). Vacher was joined in Tobago by her eldest son Julian Vacher, a pilot with Virgin Atlantic Airline which is also one of the biggest sponsors, and other members of her team including John Dunbar, photographer; Susie Dunbar, public relations officer; Valerie Cahill, accountant and sponsor liaison David Cahill.