Helicopter first to fly the world, pole to pole, in single trip

FORT WORTH, Texas – Two pilots on Wednesday became the first to fly around the world in one helicopter via the North and South poles, and to make the journey in a single continuous trip.

Jennifer Murray, 66, and Colin Bodill, 56, flew their Bell 407 helicopter more than 37,000 miles in five months, passing through 26 countries and stopping for fuel 101 times.

“We’ve accomplished what no one’s ever done before, and it’s a pretty darn good feeling,” Murray said.

In 2003, the pair crashed in Antarctica during a blizzard while making their first attempt at the same world record. Both were badly injured.

In one of several stops at the South Pole this time, they encountered similar conditions but landed safely and spent six days in a tent.

Skies were blue when they stopped at the crash site, so they decided to bury the keys from the helicopter that crashed.

“It was a very healing and wonderful moment,” Murray said.

The pilots started and ended their journey in Fort Worth because it is home to Fort Worth-based Bell Helicopter, which donated their aircraft.

Murray was the first woman to pilot a helicopter around the world in 1997, and in 2000 the first to do it solo. In 2000, Bodill was the first person to fly around the world in a powered ultralight aircraft.