"Circle The Atlantic: Flight To End Polio" completed its second Flight To End Polio mission, raising awareness and funds for Rotary's Global Polio Eradication Initiative. This world record-setting flight took place from August 30 - October 5, 2025 and was flown by Rotarian pilots Peter Teahen and Ed Galkin with technician support provided by Rotarian John Ockenfels.

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100% of the funds raised are donated to The Rotary Foundation and are matched 2:1 by the Gates Foundation. Donations were raised pre-flight, at stops along the route, and continue to be collected as the pilots travel throughout the United States, sharing the story of the mission and advancing the fight to end polio.

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The flight was completed in a 1976 Cessna 210 single-engine airplane, covering 8,800 nautical miles over a 37-day period. Multiple events and fundraisers were held along the way to further promote awareness of the End Polio Now initiative.

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Pilot Ed Galkin, age 89 during the flight, set a world record as the oldest pilot in history to fly a single-engine airplane across the Atlantic. Prior to the Circle The Atlantic mission, Ed had completed four around-the-world flights, including his most recent in 2022 at age 87.

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Previously, on July 31, 2023, pilots Peter Teahen and John Ockenfels completed the historic Around The World: Flight To End Polio, a 90-day flight that included 37 landings in 19 countries, covering a distance of 30,000 miles. Since their return, John and Peter have made more than 150 presentations worldwide about their flight. Their 2023 flight raised well over $2 million dollars for the Rotary Global Polio Eradication Initiative.

Now, following the completion of Circle The Atlantic, all three pilots continue to speak to Rotary clubs and other organizations across the United States and via video call around the world, raising funds and awareness until polio is eradicated worldwide.