Flying Around the World and Building a Sling High Wing: JP Schulze’s Story
In 1999, a boy in Namibia watched two pilots on a round-the-world flight land at his local airfield. Decades later, he flew around the world himself.
In 1999, at an airfield in Namibia, a young JP Schulze watched two microlight pilots stop on their round-the-world flight. One of them was Mike Blyth, who would go on to design the Sling.
Decades later, JP flew around the world himself and built the first Sling High Wing. In Episode 368, he tells Justin how it all connects.
- 01Growing up and learning to fly in Namibia
- 02Self-funding a world flight after sponsors pulled out
- 03Flying long legs with a non-pilot passenger
- 04Building the first Sling High Wing
- 05A career in filmmaking and why print still matters
From Namibia to New Zealand
JP grew up in Namibia, learned English from television and started flying young. He moved to New Zealand as a teenager, where he later met Louis Cole, his partner on the world flight.
A world flight, self-funded
When sponsors withdrew after a Cirrus accident, JP and Louis paid for the trip themselves. JP talks through the long legs and what it is like to fly them with a passenger who isn’t a pilot.
Building the first Sling High Wing
The story comes full circle with the Sling High Wing, designed by Mike Blyth, the same pilot JP watched land in Namibia as a boy.
Filmmaking and print
JP also talks about his filmmaking career, his posting schedule, the sunglasses he designed for pilots, and why he still values print media.
JP Schulze
JP Schulze is a pilot and filmmaker who grew up in Namibia, later moved to New Zealand, flew around the world, and built the first Sling High Wing.
Frequently asked questions
Who is JP Schulze?
JP Schulze is a pilot and filmmaker from Namibia who flew around the world and built the first Sling High Wing.
Who designed the Sling High Wing?
The Sling was designed by Mike Blyth, one of the two microlight pilots JP watched on a round-the-world flight in Namibia in 1999.
Is there more of JP’s story?
Yes. JP’s world flight is the subject of “The Long Way Around” in Volume 004 of Pilot to Pilot Magazine, with a magazine-exclusive conversation.
