The pilot behind the first aerial circumnavigation attempt to launch from Perth is sure the journey will surpass his boyhood dreams.
As a child, Dave McElroy dreamed of flying across the Atlantic but next month he really will take to the skies in an epic 80-day journey around the world.
It is only the second time such a flight has begun in Scotland, and the first time it has been attempted from the east of the country.
Dave, chairman of the Scottish Aero Club based at Perth airport, aims to raise £150,000 for Scotland’s Charity Air Ambulance through the 36,500-mile flight.
The 66-year-old will fly a modified single-engine Piper Comanche during the journey, which will see him make 52 stops in 25 different countries.
Dave, who was born in Canada but now lives in Stirlingshire, gained his pilot’s licence at 19 and has logged 2,800 hours in the air.
He said: “It was a boyhood dream when I learned to fly.
“I learned to fly as a teenager and I had a dream my whole life that I would fly the north Atlantic, but it wasn’t until about a year ago when I retired that I began thinking I could keep going right round.
“It’s a boyhood dream plus. Really, it’s exceeding my dreams.”
The trip has been carefully planned to avoid countries which are traditionally unfriendly towards general aviation, including Russia, China and Japan.
Dave also had to fight for four months to gain permission to enter Israeli air space. He will fly the majority of the trip solo and will spend at least 275 hours in the air, using around 7,700 litres of fuel.
The back seat of the aircraft has been removed to accommodate an extra fuel tank, which Dave will have to switch over to manually during the flight.
He said: “The biggest challenge I think will be the long oceanic legs and staying alert. I have a 15-hour leg from Hawaii to the west coast (of the US). I’ll also have to think about fuel management across the Pacific because there’s a lot of switching of tanks going on, which takes focus and attention.
“It’s a very significant journey for anyone to be undertaking but I’m in very good health.”
To keep alert at the controls Dave plans to upload a lot of his favourite music to his iPad before take-off.
“I may be relying on some heavy metal to keep me awake,” he joked. “I’m still working on something appropriate for crossing the International Dateline on July 2.”
Dave hopes to touchdown to a hero’s welcome at Perth Airport on August 6.