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…
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Pilot gets in trouble for flying to Antarctica unauthorized
19-year-old American Ethan Guo is currently attempting to fly to all seven continents solo, on a Cessna 182, which would make him the first person in the world to accomplish that. The passionate aviation geek is trying to do this with the goal of raising $1 million. Ethan’s cousin is battling cancer, so he is trying to raise money for St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital. This is simply an unbelievable effort for a great cause.
Ethan has been sharing details of his months-long quest on Instagram, where he has 1.3 million followers. For example, below is a map with part of his journey so far.
Up until recently, he made it to six of seven continents, with Antarctica being the last continent. The good news is that he finally made it to Antarctica. The bad news is that he has been detained there. Wait, what?!?
According to Cristian Cristoso Rifo, the regional prosecutor of Magallanes and Chilean Antarctica, Ethan departed from Punta Arenas Airport (PUQ), near the southernmost point of Chile, and conducted an unauthorized 771-mile flight to Antarctica’s Teniente R. Marsh Airport on King George Island (TNM), which is claimed by Chile as part of its Atlantic territory.
Upon landing there, he was detained. Guo has been charged for violating two articles of the Chilean Aeronautical Code, including one that calls for either imprisonment or a fine brought down on anyone who lands in Chilean territory without legitimate authorization.
According to the prosecutor, he had submitted a flight plan to fly over Punta Arenas, but not farther than that. Ethan is also accused of violating “multiple national and international” rules governing access to Antarctica, and the routes that can be taken to get there. The claim is also that his unauthorized flight posed safety risks for air traffic to the continent.
Ethan’s attorney claims this was a misunderstanding, and that “while already in the air, he began to experience a series of complications,” and he somehow ended up in Antarctica. Lol, right…
What can we really say about this incident?
I’m really struggling with this. I have nothing but respect for Ethan’s amazing goal, and the great cause for which he’s doing so. What a passionate aviation geek, to fly to all seven continents solo. I can’t even imagine the amount of planning and dedication that’s required here.
At the same time, you’ve gotta play within the rules, and you can’t hold it against authorities when they enforce their laws. The problem is, imagine if something had gone wrong with his flight. The rescue efforts would’ve suddenly become Chile’s problem.
Unfortunately you can’t blame Chile for holding him responsible, or else there could be other people who attempt to do the same. I guess the silver lining here is that it sounds like Ethan did accomplish his goal of flying to all seven continents, in the end. Now he just has to pay the price for doing so, whatever form that comes in.
I’m curious how he, and his plane, ultimately end up getting out of Antarctica. Talk about an interesting place to be detained!
Bottom line
An American teenager trying to set a record flying solo to all seven continents hit a snag at the end of his journey, while trying to fly to Antarctica. The 19-year-old made the decision to fly from Punta Arenas to King George Island, so check off his last continent.
The issue is that he didn’t have permission to operate this flight. Instead, he seemingly filed a fake flight plan, and then decided to fly to Antarctica. The claim is that he experienced some complications that caused his flight to end up in Antarctica, though I think we all know that’s not likely to be true.
He is now detained in Antarctica. I’m curious to see how this plays out. I admire the great cause he’s flying for, while I also understand the need to hold him accountable for his disregard of aviation regulations.
What do you make of this Antarctica detention?
Maybe he will be sentenced to be roommates with General Augusto Pinochet?
He didn't fly to Antarctica though.
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 noticed that nowhere does he disclose how much he raised for his cause, and how exactly it helped his relative. Sounds kinda grifty.
It would be a nice gesture if you (and other readers) donated to his St. Jude's fundraising. I plan to do so later.
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!
Just another from Party D self-identifying as insane?
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...
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
Isn’t St. Jude’s different in that the care is free?
So assuming he wants to make aviation his life has he just screwed his chances of ever being a professional pilot-commercial, cargo, specialty?
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.
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.
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.
Echoes of Wrong Way Corrigan here.
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...
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.
How did he land in Antarctica in winter with a Cessna?
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.
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...
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
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.