How’s this for wanderlust? Where most of us will dream of going on an extended vacation or maybe transitioning to the seemingly-idyllic #vanlife, one family has embarked on a 14-month trip around the world onboard their personal plane.
The Porters are a Canadian family of five (father, mother, and three children) flying on Moose, their very own, fully-outfitted Gippsaero GA8 AirVan airplane. Moose is like the sixth member of the family since it will accompany them throughout the journey, which will see them go “low and slow” around the world, with short stops at every destination.
If this sounds like a dream come true (who wouldn’t want to go on a vacation of more than a year?!), it is just that. The Porters go by 5InTheSky on social media, which is a fitting name considering that they’re five people in the sky, literally. Dad Ian a retired real estate investor and passionate flier and adventurer had always wanted to be able to take extended flights to remote locations, but at the same time, he also wanted to take them with his family.
He sat down with Michelle, his wife, to discuss the possibility of such a trip, and realized they had a window for it, thanks to their kids’ school program. Samantha, who is 21, is in between years at the university, while 18-year-old Sydney just graduated from high school and has taken a gap year. Christopher, who is 15, is doing online school while traveling.
Photo: 5InTheSky
They bought a plane, planned rigorously, and set out on June 15, 2022, with an estimated timeline for the end of August 2023. They had saved up for opportunity like this “for decades.”
The plane cost them $500,000, and they estimate the 14-month expedition will cost an additional $300,000 (but they do count on Skytrac, Thule, and Bose as sponsors). The GA8 AirVan they have is a 2013 model with a turbo-normalized Lycoming IO540 engine; it’s a single-engine utility aircraft that can seat eight people, is very reliable, and can cruise at 220 kph (125 knots) for up to 5 hours, at a maximum altitude of 20,000 feet (6,096 meters). “We like to joke that it does everything well, except go fast,” the Porters write on the official website.
Because they’re on the road for such an extended period of time, they carry clothes and assorted gear with them. At the same time, they have to keep weight within certain limits to still be airworthy, so each passenger is allowed only 20 pounds (9 kg) of personal belongings onboard, including anything from toothbrush to favorite items. For their exploring gear, they added a cargo box under Moose, with a payload of 440 pounds (200 kg).
Moose started out from Canada and is in Argentina as of the time of press. The itinerary is subject to change because Moose is flying VFR at all times (with visual reference to the surface, no autopilot), so the schedule is dependent on weather and visibility. As a general rule, mom Samantha draws up the itinerary with stays of 2-3 nights in each location and is in charge of navigation. Ian is the chief pilot, Samantha and Sydney are co-pilots, and Christopher handles drone operation. When they’re not flying, they’re a family of five just having fun and discovering new experiences.
Photo: 5InTheSky
The schedule and the trip itself are hectic and not without serious challenges, but so far, it’s been worth it. There’s a charitable component to it, as well, as Ian says in a statement for Belfast Live: they’re raising money for SOS Children’s Villages, hoping to secure $1 million in funds by the time they’re done, as well as raise the organization’s profile.
“We decided that if we were going to do this grand adventure and take 14 months, we needed to do something that would account for more than our own personal adventure,” Ian says. “We wanted to raise funds for a charity that works with families and children and has a global reach. We are trying to raise $1 million and get the name recognition and profile raised higher.”
It’s a beautiful cause, and it’s beautiful that they’ve been able to incorporate it into their extended and adventurous family vacation, which may actually set a new world record.
Elena has been writing for a living since 2006 and, as a journalist, she has put her double major in English and Spanish to good use. She covers automotive and mobility topics like cars and bicycles, and she always knows the shows worth watching on Netflix and friends. Full profile
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