One hundred years ago the Royal Australian Air Force sought to accomplish something that had never been done — circumnavigate mainland Australia in an airplane. In 1924, two military pilots used a seaplane out of necessity because the airport infrastructure that trip required didn’t exist. The pilots were also scouting possible locations to build runways.
On the 100th anniversary of that occasion, St. Louis resident Cathy Babis will attempt to become the first woman to circumnavigate mainland Australia in a seaplane.
It wasn’t until 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, that Babis learned how to fly a seaplane.
After getting a postcard in the mail advertising an opportunity to earn a seaplane certificate in the St. Louis area, Babis jumped on it. Soon after, she was landing and taking off in the Missouri River near St. Charles.
“I love to travel, and travel [during COVID] was not impossible, but it was complicated,” Babis told St. Louis on the Air. “And I had always wanted to become a seaplane pilot.”
In addition to learning how to take off and land a plane in water, Babis had to learn boating laws and responsibilities.
“If a seaplane’s nose is too low, if it’s somehow pointed in the water, the airplane can flip. It's extremely dangerous, and survival is not assured,” she said. “So the landing is the most critical part. Taking off is important but the landing part is the most critical part.”
Babis earned her pilot certificate more than five decades ago. The U.S. Army veteran has a long career in aviation as an air traffic controller, flight instructor and weather observer. In 2018, she retired from the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency in St. Louis, where she made aviation maps and charts for the military.
Babis will take off from Brisbane, Australia, this Saturday. She’ll be flying with Australian pilot David Greers, whom she met on a Facebook group for seaplane pilots.
“It’s his airplane that we're flying in together,” Babis said. “He did this same trip in 2014 for the 90th anniversary.”
Babis’ passion and flying credentials make her a good candidate for the trip. But it’s a “roughing it” attitude that makes her a good travel companion for the expected 60-day journey.
“I don't snore. I've been in the Army. I'll sleep in a sleeping bag, under the plane or on a hangar floor,” she said.
With this trip, Babis plans to continue her longtime passion of encouraging young girls and others from diverse backgrounds to pursue interests and careers in science, technology, engineering and math. She volunteers at Wings of Hope, a Chesterfield-based nonprofit that offers hands-on learning experiences in aviation to middle and high school students.
Babis is also raising awareness and funds for Roses in the Ocean, a suicide prevention organization in Australia.
To listen to more about Cathy Babis’ long career in aviation, and for more details about the trip to circumnavigate mainland Australia in seaplane, listen to St. Louis on the Air on Apple Podcast, Spotify or by clicking the play button below.
“St. Louis on the Air” brings you the stories of St. Louis and the people who live, work and create in our region. The show is produced by Miya Norfleet, Emily Woodbury, Danny Wicentowski, Elaine Cha and Alex Heuer. Roshae Hemmings is our production assistant. The audio engineer is Aaron Doerr. Send questions and comments about this story to talk@stlpr.org.
