Jennifer Murray is the first woman to circumnavigate the Earth in a helicopter in 97 days in 2000. Her book ‘Now Solo’ documents Jennifer’s journey and her challenges. As a featured author at the Fairway Galle Literary Festival 2017, we got the chance to speak to the record-breaking and inspiring Jennifer Murray about her journey; 

What brought about your love for travelling? 

My parents, actually. When I was 17, my father said that he would give me 100 pounds for me to go to 3 places of my choice. They’ve always instilled a sense of travel and adventure in me so I’ve always loved to travel. I have travelled around and across America during the 60’s when not too many people were into travelling but I have to say that aviation is where I’ve had my major adventures in travelling. 

How did you get into aviation? 

Well, I have never even thought of aviation until one day my husband announces that he bought a half-share in a helicopter and I was utterly stumped! I said ‘but neither of us are pilots!’ and he only replied, ‘I know, but I don’t have time to learn so you better.’ 

I knew that very few women were pilots so I thought this was a good chance for me and when I went for my first flying lesson they very chauvinistically asked me if I was here for the ‘wives course’. But after my first flight, I just loved it! You are like a bird and it’s just so brilliant. 

How did you become the first woman to fly around the world in a helicopter? 

Well, by that time I was 54 and my kids were all grown up and I had some selfish time.  When your kids are grown up you have this big empty in your heart and then I heard that no woman has ever flown around the world and that only two men have done it and in bigger helicopters with jet turbine engines and autopilot whereas mine was a little pistol engine with no auto pilot and I just thought I had to do it! 

How did you prepare yourself for the journey? 

It took me 3 years actually. It required a lot of preparation and a lot of disappointment. I had to raise the money, figure out the starting point and the first time I flew around the world I honestly had no clue how to plan it and all the technology we have now wasn’t available then so I had to buy all my maps, all the charts and get permits to stop at countries and get fuel. 

It really was difficult but I am a huge optimist so I never believed the bad will happen till it did! 

Was it a difficult journey? 

When I first decided I wanted to fly around the world the Aviation World said I was mad and the manufacturers gave me a 1/5 chance of making it. I was told I wouldn’t even get to Pakistan so when I did I had the pleasure of calling them to inform them where I was! That’s not to say that it wasn’t a difficult journey. Right at the start of my solo career, at my first water crossing across the Mediterranean as I was heading to Jordan I heard this massive ‘bang!’ like a car exhaust going off. I realized I was losing power and I quickly grabbed my life raft and began going through all the ditching procedures. Thankfully the power came back and in that moment I began to doubt myself and think ‘what am I doing here?” I was absolutely terrified. But I landed in Syria and I checked my engine and found that a magneto had gone so after it was sorted I felt a little better and became optimistic enough to put it behind me and continue. 

What helped you power through? 

Stubbornness! The more they said that I can’t do it the bigger the challenge was for me. Once you tell people you are doing something you have to keep at it. I was doing it for my own challenge and personal adventure but I was also doing it to raise awareness and money for charities and also just inspire women to do anything. 

You’ve experienced something very little people have ever had the chance to. What was it like to travel around the world? 

The first time I travelled around the world I took 87 days. Not so many people have ever had the chance to see the world in a way that I’ve had the chance to see and it’s just so beautiful. It’s not like looking out of a tiny window- when you are flying you get this amazing 270 degree vision you are like a bird and it’s a spectacular view! 

And in all of my journeys I worked with Save the Children, SOS Villages, the Royal Geographical Society and many more. We met so many people and we had so many adventures, some even dangerous. 

Tell us a bit about your writing. 

I’ve written three books. My book ‘Now Solo’ was about my first solo flight and the other about my story when I crashed in Antarctica and the other on my journey of circumnavigation of the Earth by the North and South poles. 

Have your journeys changed you over the years? 

I think it has given me a greater awareness and a meaning to life. It heightened my belief in just how many good people are there in the world and how one good person can just change everything! 

Lastly, what is it like to be here in Sri Lanka and to be a part of the Literary Festival? 

This is my third time in Sri Lanka but my first time at the Galle Literary Festival. I’m just so excited to be here and it’ so much fun to meet all these authors and I’ve heard from friends in Sri Lanka what a success the Galle Literary Festival is. 

PHOTOGRAPHS by Zeeshan Akram Jabeer