British pilots make Poplar Bluff stop on cross country tour, raising funds for injured veterans

A pair of British pilots made an unscheduled pit stop in Poplar Bluff this week during a cross country trip that is raising funds for injured veterans.

Tess and Morag Morris-Paterson are attempting to fly their Cessna 150 light aircraft to all 48 contiguous states and experienced engine problems Sunday, after landing in Sikeston.

The pair of women were connected with mechanics at the Poplar Bluff airport, who offered not only help with repairs but also the loan of an aircraft.

Tess and Morag only have until Sept. 14 to complete what they expect to be a 10,000-mile trip. Repairs were not expected to be finished on their own aircraft until late Thursday or early Friday.

“They’ve been extremely kind here. They’ve actually reorganized their whole schedule,” Tess, 33, said of the staff at SEMO Aviation and Poplar Bluff Municipal Airport.

Poplar Bluff has been their home base during the repairs.

The borrowed aircraft has allowed them to mark off at least eight more states, bringing their grand total to 30. Tess and Morag have had stopovers in Tennessee, Alabama, Florida, Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas, Oklahoma and Arkansas in the past week.

The stops are quick, a landing and possibly a meal, or sometimes grabbing a little sleep, Tess said.

“We’ve also met some wonderful people,” she said.

Breakfast at Myrtle’s was on the agenda while in Poplar Bluff, and Tess noted many people confuse the couple’s accents with Australians.

Both Tess and Morag, 34, are in the British Army, and say the charity Wings4Warriors hits close to home.

Based in the United Kingdom, the charity also has a United States division. It works to help wounded and injured veterans gain a commercial pilot’s license.

“Our goal is to fundraise as much money as possible for injured ex-service people,” Tess said. “They actually have a whole new career and lifestyle.”

The pair had already planned this trip when the idea developed to use it as a fundraising opportunity.

They have also been hoping to set a Guinness World Record in the process, but say the mechanical problems may be a hurdle.

The women still have 18 states in the north and west to touch down in to reach their target.

“We’re probably not going to hit all 48 now because we’ve lost too many days, but we’re going to attempt it for the next 12 days,” said Tess.

Tess and Morag originally left from New York state and made stops along the east coast first, ahead of Hurricane Dorian.

Tess is an aspiring astronaut who has recently worked at NASA and been selected as one of 25 global Emerging Space Leaders. She is finishing her doctorate in aerospace physiology and has a background in elite sport, where she worked for over 10 years with Premier League footballers, Formula 1 drivers and Olympic and Paralympic athletes. She is a British Army Reservist.

Morag is a captain in the British Army. As a physiotherapy officer, she works helping to rehabilitate wounded, injured and sick service personnel with the aim to facilitate them back into full service or assist transition into civilian life.

Their journey can be tracked at https://share.garmin.com/MoragAndTess.