Reply from Sherry and Larry Sietsma!

Tonight I received this kind email from Sherry and Larry Sietsma (see my recent posting about their flight around the world):

Hello Paul,
You are correct about the Frisian origin of our name. My Grandparents came to the USA from Leeuwarden in the 1880's.
The flight around the world was a trip of a lifetime, an unbelievable experience. One could say it was spiritual in that God protected us throughout our journey and his handywork was clearly evidenced everywhere.
Our website www.LSietsma.com describes the experience. We would highly recommend such an odyssey to anyone with the training and experience to pull it off.
A few summers ago, we flew our aircraft around the USA. Then, a year later, we flew it around the world. We since have contacted NASA to see if they can fit the plane with rockets to sufficiently propel us to the moon. They told us that they could do it but they cannot get us back again. We are only kidding about the moon part but what else can one do for an encore?
Best wishes to you and your readers in any adventures that you undertake. And we do encourage you to take them.
Sherry and Larry Sietsma
PS. I do not have access to posting material on your website so you may do it for me, if you like.

Thank you for this kind reply, Sherry and Larry! If you ever decide to fly to the moon, it would be nice if you could plant a Frisian flag on the surface. And while you are there, please put the stars and stripes back up again! (Read this)

If they could do it, why can't we?

While flying around the world - sitting at the table with my Toshiba laptop, using Google earth and looking for other exiting islands that I would like to visit one day (virtually that is), I came across Sherry and Larry Sietsma's Round the World website. Sietsma sounds like a Dutch name (Frisian to be more precise) and now I do want to know more about this couple and their 2004 solo flight in a small Beechcraft Baron airplane around the world! A quote from their website:

"The website www.earthrounders.com lists all of the pilots who have flown a light plane around the world. After reading some of the stories, one starts thinking "I could do that." When we started to think seriously about it, we contacted a few of those pilots by email and later by phone. They were very positive with lots of helpful information. If they could do it, why can't we?"

Wow. I can only dream of doing such a thing. If they could do it, why can't we? Well, you need to have enough time and money to start with and maybe it's also helpful to own a plane and have some skills as a pilot...
Let's invite Sherry and Larry Sietsma to tell us how they look back at this adventure. You know what, I will send them an email just to see what will happen next. I just love this!
If you have some questions too, just leave a comment and maybe we will get an answer from Sherry or Larry.