Teen pilot on round-the-world flight to raise funds for cancer

Despite being only 19, Chinese American Ethan Guo has already flown solo across four continents. His "small goal" is to complete a solo flight around all seven continents in the coming weeks.

On May 31, Guo departed from Memphis, Tennessee. So far, he has flown across four continents — North America, Europe, Africa and Asia — covering 15 countries and regions.

According to the plan, he still has 30 countries and regions to visit, with just 20 days to go. Along the way, he has encountered engine trouble and visa issues.

"Plans often change, and it's uncertain whether I will be able to finish on time," he said in Doha late last month.

Born in Tianjin, Guo spends his time between China and the United States. Over the past couple of years, he has spent more time in the latter.

Guo began learning to fly in the US when he was 13, starting with a one-hour introductory lesson.

It was enough to spark a dream of flying around the world, so he completed high school early and began preparing for his journey.

At 17, he obtained his Private Pilot License and was Instrument Flight Rules certified. The IFR are rules which allow properly equipped aircraft to be flown under instrument meteorological conditions.

After that, he began reaching out to companies, in search of sponsors to support his dream.

At first, many found the young man's proposal hard to believe, thinking he was just daydreaming, but eventually, some started to back him.

In 2022, Guo first broke the record for the fastest flight around the contiguous US, completing the journey in 12 days, surpassing the previous record of 16 days.

However, six months ago, his record was broken by someone else. Guo doesn't feel discouraged, as his ambitions extend far beyond this record.

His primary goal was to learn, gain experience, and prepare for his round-the-world journey, and more positively, the new record brought him more attention, and helped him secure more sponsorships.

While flying solo around the world is cool, it's also filled with challenges and dangers.

Last year, when he made his first solo attempt, Guo came close to death when his engine malfunctioned, and the plane began to shake as he was flying by a mountain.

Fortunately, he managed a successful emergency landing.

Flying over the ocean, with no land below for over 3,000 kilometers, adds to the risk.

The plane is equipped with a small lifeboat just in case.

"I'm flying a Cessna 182Q, which is 50 years old. Is it safe?" he says, laughing. "Not much of a choice. But the engine is new."

Even if he secures a new world record, this is not what matters most to him. Gao says that his real goal is to use the flight to draw attention to childhood cancer, and raise funds for research.

His cousin's diagnosis in 2021 had a profound impact, motivating him to take action.

"I admire my cousin. He and other kids from around the world who are fighting cancer have inspired me to fight on and overcome my fears," he says.

"I want to use every opportunity to raise awareness of childhood cancer and of the necessity to increase research efforts to find prevention and treatment methods."

All the money Guo raises is directly donated to a renowned US hospital, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, which treats the toughest childhood cancers and pediatric diseases.

"Life is short, and I want to do as much as I can to make the world a better place," he says.