Jon Johanson
{{Short description|Australian aviator}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2021}}
File:Jon Johanson RV-4.jpg aviation museum in 2009]]
Jon Johanson (born 1956) is an Australian aviator known for his pioneering flights in a home-built Van's Aircraft RV-4.
Early life
Johanson was born in 1956 in Warburton, Victoria, the third of four children. His father was a dairy farmer in Bairnsdale, East Gippsland. Johanson had his first solo flight at age 46, following which the family relocated to Horsham, where his interest in aviation grew.{{cite book|first=Jon|last=Johanson|title=Aiming High: The Little Australian Built to Fly the World|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ZOtUkCk-8aYC|year=1997|publisher=Wakefield Press|isbn=978-1-86254-424-6|pages=3–4}}
Flights
In 1995, Johanson flew easterly around the world and made a stop over flight at Oshkosh, Wisconsin at the EAA. In 1996 he made another stop over flight to Oshkosh, Wisconsin for the EAA, then Johanson flew his second around the world flight going westerly. On his third around the world flight in 2000, Johanson set four aviation world records. As he was flying over the North Pole the cold air cracked his windscreen.{{Cite web|url=http://www.wingnet.org/rtw/RTW009D.HTM|title=Johanson Round-the-World- Over-the-North Pole Flight|website=Wingnet|access-date=25 September 2018}}
In 2003, he made the first solo flight in a single-engine home-built aircraft over the South Pole. After landing at the McMurdo-Scott base he became stranded when the base, not wishing to encourage future private flights, refused to sell him fuel.{{cite news|url=http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2003/12/11/1071086202326.html?from=storyrhs|work=The Sydney Morning Herald|date=11 December 2003|accessdate=2 January 2010|title=Stranded adventurer offered three flights home}} After a fuel donation by fellow adventurer Polly Vacher, he was able to fly on to Australia, via New Zealand.{{cite news|url=http://www.abc.net.au/am/content/2003/s1009424.htm|title=Fellow aviator rescues Johanson's adventure|last=Caldwell|first=Alison|date=13 December 2003|accessdate=2 January 2010|work=AM (Radio)|publisher=Australian Broadcasting Corporation}}
Awards and records
In 2004 Johanson was awarded the FAI Gold Air Medal by the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FAI); it is one of the organisation's highest awards. At the time he held 47 FAI world records.{{cite web|url=http://www.fai.org/awards/recipient.asp?id=29891 |title=FAI Awards received by Jon JOHANSON (Australia) |publisher=Fédération Aéronautique Internationale |accessdate=2 March 2010 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110616210321/http://www.fai.org/awards/recipient.asp?id=29891 |archivedate=16 June 2011 }} The same year, Johanson was also named the Adventurer of the Year by the Australian Geographic Society.{{cite web|url=https://www.australiangeographic.com.au/society/awards/2018/07/ag-adventurer-of-the-year-awards/|title=AG Adventurer of the Year Awards|publisher=Australian Geographic|accessdate=13 May 2020|date=7 July 2018}}
Personal life
Johanson is a member of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, although he acknowledged in an interview with an Adventist publication that he was not a "good one".{{cite web|url=http://circle.adventist.org/files/CD2008/CD2/dialogue/articles/08_2_dunstan_e.htm|title=Jon Johanson: Dialogue with an Adventist record-breaking aviator from Australia|publisher=Dialogue|first=Lee|last=Dunstan|accessdate=13 May 2020}} In addition to being a pilot, Johanson is also a qualified nurse, midwife, and carpenter.{{cite web|url=http://www.vansaircraft.com/public/jj-persn.htm|title=World of RVs - Jon Johanson: The Person|accessdate=2 January 2010|publisher=Van's Aircraft}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
{{Portal|Christianity|Biography|Aviation}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Johanson, Jon}}
Category:People from Warburton, Victoria