I began the Outback Air Race 2025 with a plan: to blog daily, document the journey, and share every moment. After day one, I stopped. Not because the race lacked stories, but because in the cockpit, living it — and sometimes just staying ahead of it — came first.

What unfolded was more than a time trial. It became a spectrum of trust, discipline, and surprise: salt lakes blooming pink and purple, aircraft converging on invisible gates, friendships shifting shade, and a reminder that the real race was about keeping the Royal Flying Doctor Service in the air.

OAR25 wasn’t just a test of flying. It was a palette — of people, planes, and plains. And I’m still mixing the colours in my mind.

Join Team 35 'Charlie A. Foxtrot' as we prepare for the Outback Air Race 2025, a 9,000-kilometer journey across Australia to raise funds for the Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS). Recently, I traveled to Nowra to meet with Vince Di Pietro, our team captain and owner of VH-CAF, a Piper Cherokee PA28 that will carry us through this epic adventure. From reconnecting with Shoalhaven community leaders at the Shoalhaven Business Chamber Super Dinner to inspecting the tight cockpit of VH-CAF (less roomy than an F-111!), this experience highlights the importance of teamwork, purpose, and giving back. Follow our journey as we combine aviation passion with philanthropy to support remote Australian communities.