Polly Vacher is preparing for a May bid to become the first pilot to fly solo around the world via both the North and South Poles. She plans to depart from the UK’s Birmingham International Airport in her Piper Dakota piston single. The “Wings Around the World” flight will raise funds for the Flying Scholarships for the Disabled charity. Would-be sponsors can find more information at www.worldwings.org. Vacher’s Dakota has been repainted in orange and black. The orange will increase the aircraft’s visibility while flying across the vast expanses of ice and snow at the Poles, and the black on the upper wing surfaces, cockpit and engine cowling will absorb radiation and conserve heat. The repainting was done by Signature Aircraft Engineering’s Oxford facility, which has also overhauled the Dakota’s Lycoming engine. Other sponsors include Jeppesen, Lycoming and Bendix/King Avionics.