He And His Dad Will Attempt 65 Days In The Air Without Touching The Ground

Sometimes the best ideas are born of the worst circumstances. In the case of Matt Pipkin, it started when he was five. He was abused by a family friend, and he kept that secret for 9 years, and it was nearly a decade more before he was able to tell everything about the episodes.

But now at 25, Pipkin says he doesn't want to dwell on the past, and he hopes that he and his father Chet can do something to help not only abuse victims, but also children of families of fallen warriors.

According to the Idaho Statesman, Matt and his dad have come up with "Commit 65". The two will attempt to break a world record set in 1959 by staying aloft in an airplane for 65 days. The worlds record is just over 64.

Matt received a private pilots' license last year, after beginning to work towards that goal at 16. Chet flew RF4C-Phantoms in the National Guard for 21 years, and has worked for American Airlines the past 23 years.

The current record holders, Robert Timm and John Cook, flew a Cessna 172 with three seats removed and a mattress placed in the cabin so they could sleep.  They were trying to raise money for a cancer fund drive. The Pipkins say they'll probably do something similar, though they haven't determined what kind of airplane they'll fly for more than two months without stopping. They'll have to re-fuel like the current record-holders did ... flying close enough to the ground to be reached by a fuel truck moving at the same speed ... twice a day.

The paper reports that while the logistics of fueling, food, and water are major issues to be worked out, the two have other concerns as well. "Monotony is probably my biggest one because I do get bored," Matt Pipkin said. "I'm always moving. His dad said "I've never been away from my wife for that length of time. I'm so active. I like getting out and doing stuff." The two plan to place a dividing curtain in the aircraft to get some sense of privacy.

There is no date yet set for the record attempt. Both say it's about far more than having their name in the record books. "We're really hoping to encourage and empower the average Joe/Jane to  pursue goals, regardless of how 'realistic' they may or may not seem and make an effort to really live life to the fullest," Matt Pipkin said.

FMI: http://65days.wordpress.com/