Aviator Robert DeLaurentis is Reimagining Flight on Whidbey Island

2025-10-22

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Today’s guest has truly taken life to new heights—literally. Robert DeLaurentis is not only the owner of DeLaurentis International Airport in Oak Harbor, but he’s also a record-setting aviator, accomplished author, and philanthropist. He was the first solo pilot to fly a small, single-engine plane, around the world in 2015.The flight covered 26,000 nautical miles and 23 countries in 98 days for a fundraising campaign to support aviation programs. the global peace mission was called, "One Planet, One Peopl...

He was the first solo pilot to fly a small, single-engine plane, around the world in 2015.The flight covered 26,000 nautical miles and 23 countries in 98 days for a fundraising campaign to support aviation programs. the global peace mission was called, "One Planet, One People, One Plane: Oneness for Humanity" in a modified 1983 aircraft named "Citizen of the World".

In 2019, Robert achieved what many thought impossible—flying from the South Pole all the way to the North Pole, a journey that tested endurance, courage, and imagination. He flew the longest distance in a twin-engine or single-engine turboprop—18.1 hours in flight—and became the first and fastest polar circumnavigation in the world in that type of airplane. That’s a mouth full but he did it and if you’d like to watch the documentary about this flight, head over to Amazon Prime, Apple TV or Youtube TV. I’ve watched and it is very interesting. It is called Peace Pilot: To the Ends of the Earth and Beyond. If you head over to his website, https://flyingthrulife.com, you can also watch the documentary. While you are on his website, you will learn so much more about Robert, besides my interview today.

When he’s not in the cockpit, Robert is writing and sharing those stories with the world through his publishing company, Flying Thru Life, and supporting causes through the DeLaurentis Foundation, the charitable arm that channels his adventures into real-world impact.

Robert’s life is a rare mix of vision, adventure, and purpose—and today, we’ll explore not just the flights and the feats, but the mindset that fuels them, and how all of it connects back to Whidbey Island.

So, fasten your seatbelt, because this conversation is about to take you from Oak Harbor to the edges of the earth—and maybe even into your own next adventure.

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