MEET THE AROUND THE WORLD PILOTS
Peter and John have been friends
for years through their shared
passion for aviation and are also
cousins through marriage!
Though both Peter and John have
myriad hours of flight experience,
this was their first trip around
the entire globe. Amazingly, only 702 pilots have ever flown around the world and fewer than 270 of those people are alive today. This trip put John and Peter in unique and incredible company. Upon considering the idea of this daunting endeavor, Peter lightheartedly says that he thought, "One of the things I hadn't done yet was fly around the world!".
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Both Peter and John agreed that polio eradication would be the benefactor of their flight. Polio eradication has been a primary focus of Rotary for over 41 years and continues to be a major initiative. While the end of polio may be near, no child anywhere is safe until every child has been vaccinated. Ending polio is only a flight away!
Click here to donate and help end polio forever. 100% of your contribution will be donated to the Rotary Foundation Polio Plus Program and thanks to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, each dollar you donate turns into three dollars with their generous 2:1 match. Peter and John covered the entire cost of the flight and took time away from their careers and lives to help end polio.
Photo Credit: The Gazette
JOHN OCKENFELS
John has been piloting small aircraft for over 51 years. Along with Peter Teahen, he is half owner of the 1977 Cessna T210 that they flew together around the world to raise funds to eradicate Polio. He also owns and maintains a WWII PT17 Stearman, and has been the proud owner of several WWII war birds.
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John attended the University of Iowa before serving in the United States Air Force from 1972 to 1976. Now retired, John spent his career working with his brothers in their family business, City Carton Recycling, based in Iowa City, Iowa, where he served as President and then CEO. He is a founding member of the Iowa City, Iowa A.M. Rotary Club, serving as President in 1998-99. He served as District Governor for Rotary District 6000 during the 2014-2015 Rotary year. In 2002, John traveled to India to take part in a National Polio Immunization Day event and the International Polio Eradication Summit in Mumbai.
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John has served on many District, Zone, and International Rotary committees over many years. He is a member of the International Fellowship of Flying Rotarians and serves as the North Central Chair for the Americas Region. He is also an adjunct member of the E-Aviation worldwide Club.
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In 2021, John was recognized as 1 of 3 Rotarians worldwide to receive The Rotary Foundation's Service award for a Polio Free World. In 2023, John was recognized with Rotary's highest individual honor, The Service Above Self Award.
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John and his wife Deb have been active community and Rotary volunteers for many years.
PETER TEAHEN
Peter is an experienced pilot and has been piloting small aircraft for over 53 years. He is a member of the Cedar Rapids West Rotary Club and of the International Fellowship of Flying Rotarians.
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Peter is a Funeral Director and President of Teahen Funeral Home in Cedar Rapids. He is an author, mental health professional, firefighter and EMT, and serves on the faculty of the University of Iowa. Peter is the founder of the Cedar Rapids Freedom Festival. He was awarded the designation of Diplomate from the National Center for Crisis Management and the American Academy of Experts in Traumatic Stress. Peter has served globally in leadership roles on 75 major disasters, including the September 11th World Trade Center attack, Hurricane Katrina, the Indonesian Tsunami in 2004, the Haiti Earthquake in 2010, and the Genocide in the Darfur Region of Sudan in 2007. He is recognized for his work on aviation disasters, critical incident stress management, and the psycho-social impact of disasters.
Peter is the recipient of numerous international and national awards of distinction, including the National American Legion Auxiliary: National Public Spirit Award. Previous recipients include Ronald Reagan, Hillary Rodham Clinton, Ann Landers, and Dr. Robert Schuller.
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In 2024, Peter was recognized with Rotary's highest individual honor, The Service Above Self Award. Peter was also recognized as 1 of 9 Rotarians worldwide to receive The Rotary Foundation's Service Award for a Polio Free World.
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Peter and his wife Janet have been active community volunteers for many years.
Pilots Peter and John earned their Circumnavigator Diploma in August 2024. The FAI is an international agency charged with the accreditation of all aviation and space exploration.
Peter and John piloted this 1977 Cessna T210M single engine airplane around the world. They flew more than 30,000 miles over the course of three months. This included an 18 hour flight from American Samoa to Hawaii and a 17 hour flight from Maui to Oakland, CA.
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The flight was originally scheduled to take off in 2020 in a Piper Lance II aircraft. The pandemic sidelined these plans twice, and then, in 2022, the flight was canceled due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the subsequent closing of Russian airspace. With the reschedule and downtime due to the pandemic, Peter and John joined together to purchase this Cessna T210M.
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The Cessna can go faster and fly higher - up to 27,000 feet! The Lance capped out at 13,000 feet. This allowed for a better flight route (with an additional 5,000 miles when compared to the original route), higher fuel capacity, and a safer trip.
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There's more instrumentation on the Cessna, the aviation panel is more modern and redundant, and there's a door on both the pilot side and the co-pilot side, adding additional safety should the need for evacuation occur. More upgrades include heated propellers for melting ice, and a special heated plate to help de-ice the windshield.
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John and Peter can adjust the fuel mix to burn less fuel and control the fuel burn, depending on the distance of any particular flight leg.
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The Cessna's seats were removed to make room for an additional 160 gallon fuel bladder to extend the flight duration of the aircraft.
John owned an identical Cessna just like the T210M and has 28 YEARS and over 2,500 hours of flight time on it. His expertise came in quite handy during the flight.
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The 1977 Cessna Turbo Centurion model T210M is registered as N732WP. The Centurion is a single engine, high wing retractable landing gear, and all metal airplane. Dual flight controls are provided as standard equipment. It has seating for up to six occupants and a one hundred pound luggage compartment.
AIRFRAME:
With the exception of the steel engine mount, the landing gear, miscellaneous steel parts, the cowling, and the lightweight plastic extremities (tip of wings, tail fin and stabilator), the basic airframe is of aluminum alloy.
The fuselage is a riveted aluminum structure. There are doors on both the right and left side of the cockpit and an aft cargo door on the left side.
Each wing contains a fuel tank holding 45 gallons. The standard fuel capacity of the Centurion is 90 gallons, of which 89 are usable. The fuel is Avgas 100 LL. The typical fuel burn of 17 gallons per hour allows for a 4.5 hour flight with a 45 minute reserve. N732WP has been modified with tip tanks on each wing, providing an additional 33 gallons of available gas in the wings. A 160 gallon capacity “TurtlePac” fuel bladder was installed specifically for the flight and brings total fuel capacity to 283 gallons or approximately 19 hours of flight time.
MEASUREMENTS:
Wingtip to Wingtip: 40 feet
Nose to Tail: 28 feet
Overall Height: 9 feet
ENGINE:
The Teledyne Continental TSIO-520R is turbocharged, direct drive air cooled, horizontally opposed, fuel injected, six-cylinder engine with 520 cu. in. displacement. The engine has a maximum power of 310 rated BHP at 36.5 inches Hg and 2700 RPM. The maximum continuous power is rated at 285 BHP at 35 inches Hg and 2600 RPM. The constant speed three blade propeller is manufactured by McCauley.
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ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:
The 24-volt electrical system includes a 24 volt battery for starting and to back up alternator output. Electrical power is supplied by a 60 ampere alternator, and a 30 ampere back up alternator.
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CABIN FEATURES:
For ease of entry and exit and for pilot and passenger comfort, the front seats are adjustable fore and aft. All seats recline and have armrests & headrests.
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AIRPLANE FACTS:
Plane Built: 1977 in Wichita, Kansas
Manufacturer: Cessna Corporation
Model: Turbo Centurion T210M
Engine: Single
Engine Manufacturer: Teledyne Continental
Rated Horsepower: 310 horsepower.
Engine Type: 6-Cylinder, Air Cooled
Fuel: AVGAS 100LL
Fuel Capacity: 90 gallons
Usable fuel: 89 gallons
Fuel Range Capacity: 5 hours plus 45 minute reserve
Maximum Takeoff Weight (lbs.): 4000
Speed (avg): 165 knots/190mph
Fuel Burn (avg): 14.5 gallons per hour (Lean Of Peak)
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ADDITIONAL NOTES:
Approximately 40% of the fuel for this mission was hand pumped from 55 gallon drums. Fuel Drums were shipped via rail, truck, and then shipped to the needed location.
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