Teahen emerged from the co-pilot’s seat and into the arms of his wife, Janet, for hugs, kisses and sobs. And then, of course, getting out and seeing this crowd - how do you top that?” “When the (air traffic) controller said, ‘Welcome home,’ it was really the final of everything. The welcome was “outstanding,” John Ockenfels said. He’s done good landings the whole way.”ĭeb Ockenfels, left, and her son Dan Ockenfels watch as John Ockenfels hugs his daughter, Kris Ockenfels after John landed at The Eastern Iowa Airport in Cedar Rapids on Sunday after completing a flight around the globe in a single-engine plane. She quickly made her way to the pilot’s side of the aircraft to greet her husband with a big hug and kiss - and then she cried tears of happiness and relief.Įven without seeing it, she said she “knew it was gonna be a good landing. Everyone except Ockenfels’ wife, Deb, who was standing too far away to see over the sea of well-wishers. ‘A good landing’Įveryone had a ringside spot to see the tiny Cessna T210M single-engine airplane taxi to a halt. The ticket-sellers estimated 350 to 400 people came to the fundraising event, staged outside the airport’s FedEx shipping center. ![]() ![]() ![]() Final tallies may never be known, he said in a July 23 phone interview with The Gazette, since some donations may have gone directly to Rotary International, bypassing the various Flight to End Polio portals.īut checkbooks were open Sunday, and dollars piled up in the donation box at the ticket table for the homecoming pancake breakfast. Teahen then was hopeful they might reach the $2 million mark by the time they attended 24 fundraisers in Europe, the Middle East, Southeast Asia, Hawaii, California, Colorado and back home.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |