22nd April The Final Leg Complete

The Baton has completed its Final Leg

After almost 7 weeks and 29,000 kilometres, the journey has come to an end and the Baton was handed to Captain Carol Dehn, AWPA National President in Launceston.

Margy Hawke flew the Baton in her Bell 206 Helicopter from Riverside, just outside Launceston into the Heli adventures Tasmania helipad in Launceston, where it was met by a number of female pilots as it was handed to National AWPA President Carol Dehn.


The Baton has had an epic journey and we are thrilled with the support we have gained throughout this relay.

We are so happy to share with you all that we have raised over $25,000 for the Cancer Council through the generosity of those who have supported our fund raising effort. 

We have also achieved our goal of raising awareness of females in aviation roles and we hope that through our efforts we have encouraged others to consider aviation as a career or hobby.

There are so many who have contributed throughout this journey that we can not name you all. But we thank you for your participation and support. Without you this dream would never have become a reality.

We intend to run another relay in the future to ensure that our efforts to share our passion for aviation continues. 

Watch this space and get ready to Pass the Baton again!

Tassie Girls FINALLY get their hands on the Baton!

What a wonderful journey this Baton has had so far!

Circumnavigating Australia by air in a variety of different aircraft with up to 100 female pilots and crews, covering 28,000 kilometres so far.

And now the Baton commences its last journey around Tasmania to finish at the
AWPA National conference on Wednesday 22nd April.


17th April - Tasmanian AWPA President Sandra Southwell and her crew flew to beautiful Flinders Island to collect the Baton from Jacqueline Milroy & Julie Oates who had flown in the day prior from Latrobe Valley in Victoria.

 

Julie and Jacqueline at Flinders Island Airport

The aircraft safely tied down on Flinders Island

 

Sandra and her crew then flew down south across the amazing country side of Tasmania to Cambridge airport in Hobart

Sandra and the crew - many photo opportunities

 

The beautiful Tasmanian Coastline

 

Sandra then handed the Baton to Jodee Roberts & Rowy Salter in Cambridge Hobart

 

Passing the Baton over in Cambridge airport

 

The next PIC Jodee Roberts and crew prepare for their leg of the relay

 

 

 

Victorian pilots fly the Baton to the Tasmanian hand over at Flinders Island

15th April - Linda Beilharz flys the Baton into Essendon airport where she is met by AWPA Victorian President Jenny Gust.  The Baton then has an overnight with Jenny, enjoying a well deserved rest.

 

 

Jenny receives the Baton from Linda at Essendon airport

 

A well deserved rest overnight with Jenny prior to another flight

 

 

16th April - Jenny flew the Baton to Latrobe Valley where she handed it to Jacqueline Milroy.  A very emotional journey for Jenny who earlier this month lost her beloved husband Peter to cancer. 

 

Latrobe Valley would be the final mainland stop for the Baton which has now successfully completed the circumnavigation of Australia and would be flown into Flinders Island in preparation for the circumnavigation of Tasmania and its final destination in Launceston.

 

 

Jacqueline arrives in Flinders Island with her precious cargo

Victorian female pilots take the Baton closer to her final destination

13th April - The Baton was collected by Donna Dascoli and her mother Julie who then flew it to Warrnambool

 

 

The Baton does some pre flight checks

 

 

Julie and Donna on their way to Warrnambool with the Baton

 

 

AWPA members Voula and Rosemary were anxiously waiting for the Baton's arrival with media in tow. 

 

Donna and Rosemary at Warrnambool

 

 14th April - Voula and Rosemary then flew the Baton to Colac air field where they handed it over to Linda Beilharz

 

 

 

PIC Voula Crossingham and Navigator Rosemary Arnold at the completion

of their leg in the relay from Warrnambool to Colac.

 

 

Rosemary, Linda and Voula - also two four legged relay supporters Rosemary's Yorkies



South Australalian Pilots show the Baton Around their State

 

Thursday 9^th of April - Catherine Conway and Lucianne van Gelder flew with the Baton from Stonefield in Adelaides North West to Aldinga in a Glider. 

AWPA SA/NT President Barbara Parish, Lucianne van Gelder & Catherine Conway

 

On Saturday 11^th   Sheryllee Verstappen and Lucianne van Gelder  flew the Baton in an Evector Sportstar from Aldinga to the stunning  private air strip at Ante Chamber Bay, on Kangaroo Island

 

Lucianne and Sherylee get ready to depart Aldinga for KI

 

 

 

Ante Chamber Bay airstrip at KI, includes runway roaming sheep

Sunday 12^th Mary Trowbridge then flew the Baton from Aldinga to Rowland flat airstrip for the Barossa air show where the Baton was shared amongst AWPA SA branch members and on show for many a crowd photo opportunity.

 

 

Mary Trowbridge collects the Baton in Aldinga for her flight to the Barossa Airshow

 

 

Mary hands the Baton to Rachel who will fly it after the airshow to Parafield

 

 

AWPA SA/NT Members with the Baton at the Barossa Airshow

 

 

Rachel Loye and her instructor, then flew the Baton to Parafield in a C172

 
Rachel and her instructor preparing to fly to Parafield
 

'Clear right, Clear Centre, Clear Left'

Rachel doing her visual checks with the help of the Baton

Monday 13^th:  Barbara Parish and Beverley Roediger flew their C172 to Naracoorte and then onto Mount Gambier to hand over to the Victorian girls Faye Warren, Sioghan Murphey and Caroline Chamberlian who flew from Mt Gambier to Portland.

 

The SA Team hands over to Victorian team

 

Faye Warren and Barbara Parish

Faye and her ladies in Pink then flew the Baton onto Portland, Victoria

 

The Pink lady Pilots - Faye, Caroline and Sioghan

 

 

Spectacular arrival into Adelaide South Australia

On the 8th of April the relay Baton arrived in style with Qantas 737 Captain Helen Trennery and AWPA member First Officer Skye Mules. 

 

 

Qantas First Officer Skye Mules

 

The all girl flight crew flew the Baton from Perth, WA into Adelaide Airport and into the hands of Air Force Cadet Sarah Bradshaw.

 

Qantas First Officer Skye Mules, Airforce Cadet Sarah Bradshaw & Qantas Captain Helen Trennery with the Baton in front of the B737

 

Cadet Bradshaw gained special approvals to fly her glider into Adelaide International Airport to meet the Qantas 737 crew, under the guidance from her instructor and AWPA member Catherine Conway.

Airforce Cadet Sarah Bradshaw infront of the glider at Adelaide Airport

 

 

This is the 3rd time in 26 years that a glider has been given approval to land at Adelaide Airport and it certainly gained a lot of attention with all the media in attendance.

 

Sarah with the glider and media in the back ground

 

The Baton hand over team from Qantas and the Royal Australian Airforce Cadets

 

Cadet Bradshaw and her instructor Catherine Conway then launched the glider with their precious cargo on board and flew to Stonefield gliding club.

 

Hanging out in South Australia

Looking for something to do this weekend? If you're in and around Adelaide, you can see the baton head over to Kangaroo Island tomorrow, or head over to the Barossa Airshow on Sunday!

The planned routes and times are:
11th April Aldinga - Kingscote - Aldinga ETA TBA
12th April Aldinga- Rowland Flat (Barossa Airshow) ETA 1300 
12th April Rowland Flat - Parafield ETA 1630
13th April Parafield - Naracoort ETA 1100
13th April Naracoorte to Mt Gambier ETA 1200

And of course, we're doing all this to raise funds for Cancer Council NSW, so if you're yet to donate to this great cause, just follow the 'Donate here' link on the left!

Thanks everyone and have a great weekend!

The baton is spending the Easter long weekend holidaying in sunny Broome!A

Yesterday, on April 3, a crew of 6 women pilots from the Royal Aero Club of WA took off from Jandakot in a Partenavia and flew to Perth airport to hand the baton over to a Qantas Boeing 737 crew to fly to Broome.

Pilot in Command: Amy Richards with Rachel George

A lovely day for flying!

Final approach into Perth

The baton had a front row seat

On arrival into Perth, the Partenavia was marshalled onto Bay 7 at the Qantas Domestic Terminal, where the Partenavia crew handed the baton over to the Qantas B737 crew.

Qantas 737 crew for the QF1070 flight to Broome

Once the handover was complete, the 737 crew with Capt Marnie Shields and FO Haidee Wong flew the baton up to Broome on VH-VXA, arriving into Broome in time for a fabulous sunset.

Once in Broome, Marnie and Haidee said a fond farewell to the baton and passed it onto Emma and Jane from Broome Air Services. Also there to welcome the baton was Maude Telfer from King Leopold air and Rebecca Ludgate from KAS helicopters. These pilots will be looking after the baton and showing it around Broome, so look out for the next post to see what the baton gets up to next!

Qantas Captain Marnie Shields

Marnie and Haidee handing the baton over to Emma and Jane

A lovely evening in Broome