Loss Of Job, Family and Health Has Lancaster County Pilot Reaching Higher Than Ever

By Craig Layne, 'Fox 43 (York, Pa.)'

The loss of his home and family and his ongoing suffering from autoimmune kidney failure has not dampened Pennsylvania pilot Andrew Bazeley's spirited love of flying -- and now he is doing it for a good cause. Bazeley's wife had moved back to her native China with their 2-year-old son after Bazeley lost his job, then a Chinese government reconstruction project ended up taking their home from them there. Now, Bazeley is making a 5,000-mile flight in the 40-horsepower ultralight, including a stop at the AirVenture Oshkosh in Wisconsin, to raise money to build his wife and son a new home. "I just want to give my wife the peace of mind that her family's taken care of," says Bazeley, who had not flown solo before. The trip to Wisconsin, Texas, Florida, and back to Pennsylvania is expected to take two to six weeks depending on weather, and Bazeley plans to camp in a tent under the plane's wing along the way.

August 20, 2009