I have an incredibly abundant list of things to be thankful for, but today I’m going to focus on just one: I’m thankful for Mike Penn.
Mike was our very first Flight Director—with us right at the beginning. He embraced this crazy concept with open arms and ran with it, making the IKS Titan a huge success. He pioneered DFA flight directing, established our vibrant community of practice, and helped spread the program to thousands of students across two continents.
Mike wasn’t alone in this—we’ve all been surrounded by wonderful supporting partners all along the way—and we’re extremely thankful for them. But today I’m focusing on Mike Penn, because within the next 48 hours Mike will be flying south for the winter.
WAY south.
He’ll fly so south he won’t be in winter anymore.
He’ll travel so south he won’t be able to go south anymore!
Mike’s PolarTREC expedition to the South Pole begins tomorrow. And we’re going to miss him.
But fear not! All is not lost. Mike will be reporting about his journey, and we’ll be relaying his discoveries here on this blog. Communications may be sporadic. It’s hard to predict how often Mike will be able to send out his weather-hardened carrier pigeons with his latest field journals… but rest assured when they arrive we’ll be ready to receive them.
Mike, we’re completely thrilled about your upcoming adventure. Thank you for everything you do! You’re an amazing partner, teacher, and friend. Good luck, try to stay warm, and God speed!