An American teenager flying solo across the globe for a great cause has been detained in Antarctica. On the one hand, I feel sort of bad for him, given the amazing cause he’s doing this for. On the other hand, if you break rules, you should expect to face the consequences…
Continue reading: American Teen Flying Solo Around The World Detained In Antarctica
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I follow him on Insta.
Crazy that he is just 18.
Seems like a bit of overreaction by Chile.
He is flying to hundreds of countries so it seems complicated to know every single country's restrictions, given the different languages but I am not a pilot, so who knows.
Chile is a good enough partner to the US that they will let him go after he pays a fine - reducing his haul for charity - and perhaps is required to strike the leg to Antarctica from his logbook.
He undoubtedly knew he couldn't get authorization to enter Antarctica which is why he just did it and hoped he could ask for forgiveness later. Some mistakes have consequences. Chile might request that the FAA slap him with some type of violation.
6 continents and that many legs is no small feat. Enjoy what you have done and play within the rules.
best wishes to his family member
Definitely seems like an ask forgiveness and not permission situation. He knew odds were low that Chile would authorize a Cessna flight to Antarctica so he just did it anyway knowing that once he lands no one can take that feat away and he’ll just deal with the fall out afterwards banking it won’t be too severe. Chile will be hard pressed to make sure the consequence is not too severe but severe enough to deter others from doing the same. If it’s just a slap on the wrist many others will do it. If it’s too harsh they will look like baddies in the media.
Well, technically the South Shetland Islands aren't even part of the Mainland of Antarctica, so Chile could just claim he never landed in Antarctica and let him go. Of course that claim would probably really get under his skin, but wouldn't that be the point? By the way, I've flown out of that airport and it's subject to all sorts of safety rules, mostly concerning weather which makes it unsafe quite often. He's lucky yo be alive.
Isn't it odd that everyone is banned from traveling to Antarctica but not the North Pole. One would think there would be some provision to allow wilderness excursions to the continent or even tour companies allowed to conduct trips, but apparently you can only get there on military transport. There are tour companies even to North Korea, but not Antarctica? How strange.
So assuming he wants to make aviation his life has he just screwed his chances of ever being a professional pilot-commercial, cargo, specialty?
Well, he FAFO’d. My actual issue with this is that St. Jude is the 10th rated pediatric cancer hospital in the US, but receives more in donations than the other 9 hospitals in that list combined. Although St. Jude scores very high for accountability and 82 cents of every dollar raised is used for patient care, research, etc… it’s mind-boggling that they’re so effective at advertising and fundraising. They have so much cash they could continue operating for more than 5 years (!!!) without receiving another donation. I’m sorry that his cousin is ill, and I know they’re getting great care at St. Jude. Still, it’s aggravating to see YET ANOTHER St. Jude fundraiser top of the news. As a cancer survivor myself, I’d just like to see the wealth spread out a bit better but as long as St. Jude is so good at fundraising, doubtful that will change.
I was going to post something similar. I would add that St Jude’s finances are more problematic than you think: https://www.propublica.org/article/st-jude-hoards-billions-while-many-of-its-families-drain-their-savings
Antarctica is not banned from travel. I have been as I’m sure many on this website. The number of tourists has doubled over the last decade or so. It’s an increasingly popular destination. Not sure where you heard travel to Antarctica is banned.
Chile must extradite this illegal alien to Guantanamo or El Salvador.
We don't want any more American criminals or drug traffickers.
Make Chile Great Again!
There's no formal airport in Antarctica, just an ice runway near one of the Chilean military camps. DAP and a few others fly small propeller planes from Punta Arenas VFR, no instrument flying. It can be a dangerous flight if bad weather sets in. Kid was stupid, got very lucky.
It would be a nice gesture if you (and other readers) donated to his St. Jude's fundraising. I plan to do so later.
I noticed that nowhere does he disclose how much he raised for his cause, and how exactly it helped his relative. Sounds kinda grifty.
Come on, Ben.
Not even remotely a grey area here. Dude knowingly and purposefully violated the law. Law that exists for good reason - both aviation safety and national sovereignty.
"For a good cause" doesn't matter.
I thought antarctica was not owned by anyone and was covered by international treaty so chile wouldnt have jurisdiction to arrest anyone?
Pete Einstein thinks "the north pole" is like Antarctica, but with Christmas Trees.
Failure of the education system + social media = morons
At least he wasn't trying to share the Good News about Jebus with the North Sentilelese.
He submitted a totally different flight path to authorities. He knew what he was doing. That’s an offense anywhere in the world.
Just do the exercise and submit a flightpath to an US airport and then fly to a complete different direction and destination hundreds of miles away. You probably would end up being shutdown by an F16.
You can see the landing in this CHV (Chilean TV channel) news report. Minute 0:33. It was recorded by Chilean personnel in the Antarctic base.
He got very lucky with the weather because is winter here in the Soutern Hemisphere.
https://youtu.be/coL8tMCBxzw?si=ibRF21OjHHdqos6d
The Teniente Rodolfo Marsh Martin Airport (IATA: TNM, ICAO: SCRM) is on King George Island, part of Chile's Antártica commune in Antarctica, and is the northernmost airport in the continent. The airport serves the nearby village of Villa Las Estrellas and the Base Presidente Eduardo Frei Montalva.
So, the pilot falsified flight information, took off from a Chilean airport and landed at a Chilean military base.
And you say the country has no jurisdiction to arrest him? Its a joke?
I admire his courage guts and fearlessness wonder how got clearance from various ATC while flying over several overflying spaces how those countries military planes did not chase him
What was the call sign he gave to each
Overflown country OMG I really admire
After he comes out of jail
Airline industry and aviation magazine
And pilots should help him to g wed
Pilots license I am also fm intnl airline
I’m glad other aircraft was not in the area!
At least he got to six Continents, not bad.
The care from St Jude’s is free, but most of the top pediatric hospitals accept patients regardless of their ability to pay. St Jude’s also provides (limited) housing for family members of those undergoing treatment. That doesn’t mean they can or should amass billions more in donations than anyone else.
Must be nice to have wealthy parents. Not to mention the millions available to Marco Rubio for his consular services to help stupid Americans get out of trouble in foreign countries.
Do you want to believe he planned and executed the whole feet himself?
He probably had friends, technicians and many more help with flight planning, routing, accommodation, refuelling, even rules and regulations.
If this was done in the US or Europe or China and Russia, the reaction will probably be same or worse
Stupid teen.
Wasted all the money taking many months flying around the world.
Should have donated all those money and went straight to Antarctica. He could have flown around the world in minutes down there.
Then there's all the St.Jude money spent on ads asking for more money to spend on ads rather than using those funds to cure cancer.
Hypocrites (as always)
This is more about him and his future than it is about any funds raised for his charity.
He FA and will now FO.
The problem with stories like this is that you never know the full details and truth...I agree, I think Chile will give him a strong enough consequence to deter others from trying but not too harsh that they look bad, and I do agree he should be given some type of consequence because of doing this on purpose. Some people said that it is difficult for him to know about the rules for each place.... May be true, but that is his job to know though.
American pilot? Am I missing something???? Glad Chile put this guy in jail. Complete disregard for another country's laws.