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internationally. This is because all times (arrivals, de- partures, etc.) must be submitted by the control tower, if available. This can be tougher in other countries where tower operators have occasionally been hesitant or un- willing to sign paperwork.
In several instances where the paperwork has been
completed efficiently for Holland, there have been some
hitches. “We [my crew and I] tried to establish a record
between Khabarovsk, Russia and Anchorage, Alaska.
The air traffic control operator had noted the departure
time before our departure, delivered the form to us, then
granted takeoff clearance at exactly the time on the form.
This was not accepted by the NAA and FAI. Ultimately,
this record f light, although f lown, was not granted re- Preferred cord status.”
While Holland commented that sometimes it feels his failed records are the most memorable, he also has many fond memories of his successes. One particular string of records was related to his December 2019 to January 2020 self-titled “Ferry Pilot Ironman,” in which he flew three separate turbine aircraft around the world over a nine-day period.
“The first flight was from Wichita to Dubai in a Cessna Mustang. One portion of this flight was with Jade Hofeldt, a sales director with jetAVIVA, as my copilot (who was recognized on the FAI’s record documentation as a crewmember). We had a red-eye flight to Greenland so we could take advantage of their operating hours to keep the record attempt’s timeline tight. From there, the Middle East was next, as well as a change in planes. From Dubai to Indonesia, I flew an Embraer Phenom 300, which was traded for another Embraer Phenom 300 for the last portion of my ‘Ironman’ – Singapore to Seattle.”
Thanks to his experience seeking and earning records, pilots consistently seek Holland’s counsel on how they too can make an attempt themselves. One piece of advice he gives to those interested aviators is, “Safety is always more important than the record, and I have personally scrubbed many attempts when it has not been safe to do so.”
As for possible flight ideas, the NAA maintains a “Ten Most Wanted Records” list. According to Green- field, “Some of those records have not been challenged in a long time, so we have highlighted them as ‘Wanted’ to be broken.”
There are many long-held records awaiting their newest challenger – maybe it will be you.
For more information, visit fai.org or naa.aero.
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Grant Boyd is a private pilot with seven years of expe- rience in general aviation business from marketing to customer service. He has written more than 85 articles for aviation publications and enjoys learning about air- craft/pilots with unique missions. Grant can be reached at grantboyd2015@gmail.com.
March 2021 / TWIN & TURBINE • 21