Mikelanjelo Conrad comes from a family of free spirits and adventurers. His grandfather Max Conrad is a famous pilot, listed in the Guinness World Records as having logged more miles than any other solo pilot. (Proud grandson thinks the record still stands.)

A father of 10 and grandfather of 26, Max Conrad flew his first solo around-the-world flight in 1961. During his second attempt to fly around the world via the north and south poles, his Piper plane crashed. Although he was not injured, his grandson reports, the Navy called his attempts "suicide missions" and refused to allow him to try again.

Admittedly a poor navigator, when asked by a journalist how he planned his flights, Max Conrad held up a small world globe he kept in the cockpit.

Reach Paula Rath at paularath@aol.com.