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Taylor McNeill piloted the propeller-driven Piper Comanche while Demray served as co-navigator. The record was set in the fall of 2020, but the awards were delayed until this year due to the pandemic.
Photo by William Demray
MADISON HEIGHTS — A local woman was recently honored for a world record flight she made two years ago in the middle of the pandemic, piloting a plane from Chicago to Omaha in less than three hours.
Taylor McNeill, of Madison Heights, was recognized by the National Aeronautic Association for her feat, which was accomplished in a propeller-driven Piper Comanche on Oct. 1, 2020. She departed from Gary/Chicago International Airport at 12:30 p.m. and landed at Eppley Airfield at 3:14 p.m.
During her travels, she navigated only by sight, without using instruments, following maps and ground landmarks to find her way — a system called Visual Flight Rules, or VFR.
She was accompanied on her flight by Dr. William Demray, a Northville resident, doctor of dental surgery and founder of Preservation Dental, where McNeill works as a dental hygienist. Demray served as the sole crew member on the journey, while McNeill was in the pilot seat. He was tasked with navigation assistance, helping to read maps and monitor radio frequencies. Demray is also the owner of the Piper Comanche that McNeill piloted.
McNeill said in an email that the flight went relatively smoothly.
“For most of the flight, weather conditions were favorable. About halfway through the flight, we ran into a rainstorm, but that didn’t slow us down, and we didn’t need to reroute,” McNeill said. “I did use maps along the way to help navigate, and found landmarks such as rivers and highways to be helpful, as well as clusters of buildings that we identified as certain towns or cities. Additionally, I continually checked the compass to ensure we were flying in the right direction. When you are flying any route, there is also handoff between (air traffic controllers), and those personnel are also helpful in ensuring you are flying in the correct direction.”
“Certainly, there’s a lot to keep track of, and it does involve concentration and focus to fly safely,” she added. “There’s nothing like flying a plane on a beautiful day — there’s such a sense of freedom. Flying is a privilege that’s not lost on me.”
McNeill first earned her pilot’s license in 2017, while Demray is a seasoned aviator with more than 40 years of experience. The flight from Illinois to Nebraska is the fifth world record for Demray, and McNeill’s first.
She traces her fascination with flight back to her late grandfather, Neal Gibbins, a career pilot who started flying when he was a young teen and flew his entire life. He piloted planes for a private commercial company, and was also an instructor and designated examiner grading students on their test flights to earn a pilot’s license. It was a connection that meant McNeill never needed to book a commercial flight when she was younger, since her grandfather would fly her family everywhere.
She then pursued a career in dentistry, only to meet Demray, who it turns out also had a passion for aviation. Together, they decided to try and set a world record, choosing an airport in Omaha close to where her grandfather lived, so that he could witness the record-setting landing. Gibbins saw the moment and died 10 months later at age 84.
“He was certainly a low-key individual, but the day I landed and set the record, I knew he was proud of me. The trip was also a chance for us to visit during the midst of the COVID lockdown,” McNeill said. “Looking back, having him there at the airfield and getting to spend some time with him has become even more meaningful to me since he passed away.”
McNeill first began taking flight lessons in 2015 at Oakland Southwest Airport in New Hudson.
“The process wasn’t too hard since it was a hobby of mine, and I was able to take lessons when I wanted to, and balance it well with school and work,” McNeill said. “It wasn’t stressful at all since I was having fun with it.”
In addition to flying and her work as a dental hygienist, McNeill also teaches a few days each week at the University of Detroit Mercy School of Dentistry, where she earned her bachelor’s degree in dental hygiene. She also earned a minor in philosophy from UDM. Demray is also an alumnus of the UDM School of Dentistry, and a former board member of the university’s alumni association.
“Flying is much like dentistry in its precision, timing, and delicacy of coordination,” Demray said in a statement. “It is my pleasure to work side by side with Taylor delivering customized patient care, and to witness how she transitions many of the same skills, dedication and commitment to piloting.”
The world record, once it was certified by the nonprofit National Aeronautic Association, was then ratified with the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale. The NAA serves as the official record keeper for U.S. aviation and tracks world and national record attempts each year.
As for what’s next, McNeill said she’s not sure, but she plans to continue growing as a pilot.
“I’m delighted right now, having set the record,” she said. “I don’t have any definite plans, except to keep learning more about aviation.”
