EARTHROUNDER MISSION
HAS BEEN ACCOMPLISHED
Impossible is now "I'm possible"
THANK YOU!
On June 11, 2021, Shinji touched down at Harvey Field (S43), WA, and completed his Earthrounder mission flight. Shinji became the 139th known solo pilot, he is also the second to complete a Round the World since the start of the pandemic and the First Solo Pilot since the pandemic. This would not have been possible without the support that we received from you all. We want to thank you for showing your support and love to help us make this happen together.
PHOTOS BY MR. YOSHI FUJII
VIDEOS
More videos on YouTube
ARTICLES
ABOUT THE MISSION
What is this mission about?
One-eyed pilot, Shinji Maeda, has been inspiring people to pursue their dreams through his motivational speech and has reached out to thousands of people in the U.S. and Japan. This time, he decided to fly around the world in his own airplane to deliver an important message to many more people across the world.
Why Earthrounder?
When Shinji was 18 years old, he lost his eyesight in one eye. He had to face the fact that by law he could never pursue his dream of being a pilot in Japan. However, he made it happen. By overcoming the tragedy, he became a pilot and now he enjoys sharing his love and passion for flying with his student pilots as a flight instructor. He realized that sharing his journey and motivating others to achieve their dreams became his true passion. Since 2008, he kept delivering motivational speeches in the US and Japan by flying on a commercial jet. But this time, he wanted to do something different. He decided to fly around the world in his own airplane to deliver his message to many more people across the world. Impossible? He would say "No, not at all. I AM POSSIBLE and THIS IS POSSIBLE!"
ROUTES &
DESTINATIONS
18
COUNTRIES
Click here to see Shinji's route. He used “150kt” average ground speed for planning purposes.
AIRCRAFT
LUCY
Lucy is a 1963 Beechcraft Bonanza that has been flown and loved for many years. She was graciously provided for the EarthRounder 2020 Mission.
Learn how we prepared our aircraft.
Design by Testuo Tanaka
SHINJI'S MENTOR
Adrian Eichhorn
Adrian Eichhorn supports our Earthrounder Mission in May 2021 as a mentor who has experience going around the world in his own airplane. The story of Shinji and Adrian started back in 2017. When Shinji asked Adrian for help with his Earthrounder mission, Adrian was impressed by his strong will and persistence to make it really happen. He has been sharing a lot of his knowledge and experience with Shinji, but what also makes them keep going for their dreams is that both have amazing fathers who support and encourage them to follow their passion and to be the best at it. We appreciate Adrian to be one of Shinji’s biggest supporters and we all wish more people could live their dreams as they do. Watch the video to learn how they bond together with laughter and their passions to deliver hope to this world.
Aircraft Preparation
PHASE 1
Installation of a new engine, prop, check aircraft structural integrity, tip tank, and many others. Mike and Dave are dedicated to all phases of Lucy's integration
PHASE 2
Installation of a new navigation system - GPS, Radio, ELT, Transponder, and autopilot. Dan and Ben are responsible for all avionics integration.
PHASE 3
Final paint by Cascade Custom Design, two brothers, Steven and Brian. Paint designed by Mr. Testuo Tanaka, a Japanese aviation manga artist.
SPONSORS
Our sponsors helped us to make this impossible mission possible.
We are forever grateful.
We are a Washington State 501(c)3 federally registered non-profit corporation. We are Microsoft and Amazon.com matching-donation approved for employees. We accept corporate and individual sponsorship for the EarthRounder 2020 Mission.
Avionics Shop, Inc
Tacoma Narrows Airport
Misawa Family
渕山農場
（株）衣浦商会
光仙寺
Ripple International LLC
EMPLOYEE MATCHING GIFT
