On Tuesday, January 10, the Leadership Academy hosted a lunch and lecture featuring local entrepreneur Wei Chen, discussing his recent globe-circling flight in his single engine airplane.
Over sandwiches, a sold-out crowd of Memphis-minded professionals gathered and introduced one another, shaking hands and discussing their recently made New Year’s resolutions. Chen, whose Sunshine Enterprises employs more than 400 people in the US and China, mingled with people like Dean Deyo of the Memphis Music Foundation and Katie Midgely, program associate with the Plough Foundation, before taking the stage to discuss his 70 day piloting adventure, completed last spring.
“Flying around the world was a childhood dream of mine,” said Chen, “and I take pride in being the first Chinese citizen to fly around the world. Only 167 people have ever done it. A lot of people have tried and lost their lives. It really is a big challenge.”
In a PowerPoint presentation, Chen followed the course of his journey with a laser pointer, noting the enormous ‘M’ the flight path drew on the map. “Notice the letter it makes? It was a coincidence, but…” he added, drawing a proud chuckle from the pro-Memphis crowd.
Able to travel about 1,000 miles per leg, Chen visited scores of nations, like Greenland, Saudi Arabia, Thailand and Scotland. On the way, he found trouble, like the massive volcanic eruption last year in Iceland, and a scary moment with an overheated engine as he flew into India.
Getting permission to land in China also posed a challenge, as landing a single engine plane in Chen’s home country is almost unheard of, or “like something from your imagination,” as Chen put it. His landing was so rare, in fact, that when he was granted permission to land and refuel, the manufacturer of his plane sent out a press release.
Filled with matinee adventure, Chen’s journey also had a charitable aspect. In Laos, Chen visited the poorest elementary school in the country, giving every student a school bag stuffed with supplies. In China, he awarded scholarships to five students, allowing them to attend Harbin University.
“I had nothing when I came to Memphis,” said Chen. “But I made it to where I am today with lots of support from the community.”
“If I had done this in New York, they would have said ‘Okay, see you in 70 days,’” he said with a comically dismissive wave. “But Memphis is a place where grand visions can be made to happen.”
