Blaine man lands world record 30-year-old completes 308 takeoffs and landings with Cessna 150

PRESQUE ISLE – Though it will be several months before it’s confirmed, Walter Mosher knows he’s got a world record.

On Saturday, Mosher, 30, of Blaine became the unofficial holder of the Guinness world record for the most takeoffs and landings from the same runway in a 24-hour period with the same airplane.

Mosher made 308 successful takeoffs and landings in six hours and 48 minutes at Northern Maine Regional Airport. The old record of 297 was set on Oct. 6, 1999, by Phil Harris and Kate Fraser at Archer Field Airport in Queensland, Australia.

Despite rain, fog and high winds that at times reduced visibility to a quarter-mile, “there wasn’t any way I wasn’t going to do it,” Mosher said Monday.

Other than a minor problem with a landing light and low pressure in a tire, “the airplane ran fine,” he said.

The takeoffs and landings became almost routine for Mosher, who has been flying for six years.

“After about 100, it was almost like an extension of my legs,” he said of his Cessna 150. “It was just a natural thing.”

After he made the 297th takeoff and landing and knew he was about to break the record, Mosher attached flares to the tail of the plane to celebrate.

“Two hundred ninety-eight was done with flames coming out of the back of the plane,” he said. “It was really cool.”

While Mosher’s part of the quest was relatively uneventful, he said he was surprised at all the attention it drew. At one point, there were close to 200 people on the ground watching him.

“It wasn’t a difficult feat, but it stimulated public support,” he said. “It was a bigger deal than I anticipated.”

Since Saturday, Mosher said, he has gotten at least a half-dozen requests from people asking him to teach them to fly.

Mosher will send all the tallies kept by people on the ground to Guinness Book of Records headquarters in England, along with written statements from the tally takers, videotapes of the event and copies of all media coverage.

It will be three to six months before he gets back an official confirmation.

Mosher said he isn’t worried about somebody breaking his record anytime soon.

“The only one who might break my record would be one of my kids,” said the father of three. “And I’ll be right there to support them.”