Fran West
Fran West
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Show notes
Australian private pilot and author Fran West joins me to talk about her remarkable three-month journey flying around the coastline of Australia in a Cessna 172—an adventure she later captured in her photo-rich journal, Plane Reflections.
What began as inspiration from the 1978 aerial circumnavigation known as “Pelican’s Progress” became Aus Flight ’99—a meticulously planned, shoestring-budget flight completed with grit, humility, and hard-earned wisdom.
Fran shares what it really takes to execute a marathon aviation journey:
· 52 charts
· 67 flight plans
· 75 mainland airstrips + 15 in Tasmania
· 101 landings
· Multiple weather turn-backs
· And the emotional weight of flying in a community that didn’t always support her
We talk about:
· Growing up inspired by aviation books (and inheriting a library of them)
· Becoming a private pilot while building a career as a librarian
· Navigating male-dominated flying spaces
· The curious scrutiny around “solo” flights
· Why turning back is not failure
· Writing and self-publishing Plane Reflections
· And an unforgettable chocolate cake “mud map” story
This conversation is about aviation, resilience, self-trust, and doing the dream.
