Women pilots plan to fly Mooney through India and Thailand

Judy Rice has been invited to join CarolAnn Garratt, a three-time around the world pilot, in flying through Oman, India, and Thailand Dec. 13-25. Rice is one of several pilots who will accompany Garratt for portions of her global flight enhancing public understanding of Lou Gehrig’s disease.

Rice chose India for her portion to prepare her for completing her own later global flight because it is known as one the most difficult countries for general aviation pilots to transit. An additional challenge will be for two female pilots to operate in an aviation environment and culture dominated by men.

On Dec. 13 Rice will depart Jacksonville International on a commercial airline. Her adventures begin when she arrives in Muscat, Oman. She will then share in flying CarolAnn’s Mooney from Muscat into the northern half of India, through Thailand, and then depart on Christmas Day. Rice and Garratt plan to spend several days in each location learning more about the people and their countries. One of Rice’s goals will be to learn how best to fly into India as she prepares for her own future global flight.

Rice’s second goal will be to connect classrooms across the globe by sharing her passion for aviation education. Educators from across the nation, as well as in India, will be following this flight, sharing their comments on the ThinkGlobal Flight website, according to Rice. Teachers are preparing their students by sharing their STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) aviation-related lesson plans on the site.

CarolAnn’s global flights are intended to create a greater awareness for Lou Gehrig’s disease (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis or ALS). Her trips are dedicated to her mother, Marie Garratt, who died April 24, 2002 after a three-year battle with the disease. ALS is a devastating disorder degrading the function of nerves and muscles. Based on U.S. population studies, more than 5,600 people in the United States are diagnosed with ALS each year. To learn more about CarolAnn’s flight and ALS visit: ALSWorldflight.com.

Rice learned to fly while teaching in school systems, and is now an instrument rated commercial pilot, an advanced ground instructor, and CFI. She owns a Grumman Yankee. Garratt is an instrument rated commercial pilot and certified instrument flight instructor and owns a Mooney 201.