Round-the-World Flight

Miami, Fla. – March 26, 2007 – A 23-year-old student left Friday on a trip that, if successful, will land him in the record books twice — for being the youngest and first black pilot to fly around the world solo. EAA member Barrington Irving took off about 10:30 a.m. EDT from Miami in a single-engine Columbia 400 as a crowd of several thousand students cheered him on, the Orlando Sentinel reported. On Monday, he was headed to St. John’s, Canada. After Canada, he will cross the Atlantic Ocean, through Europe, the Middle East and Asia before returning to Florida around April 30. Irving hopes his five-week, 21,500-nautical mile flight will inspire young people to resist the negative influences of the streets and work toward their dreams. But he said he’s also doing it to show the few people who doubted what he could do that anything is possible. Irving knows what inspiration can do for a person. He was born in Jamaica, but raised in the inner city of Miami and had little hope for the future. But when he was 15, he met a Jamaican airline pilot, Captain Gary Robinson, at his parent’s Christian bookstore. The two started talking and Robinson invited the teen to the airport the next day to see the cockpit of the Boeing 777 jet he flew for United Airlines. By the next day, Irving knew what he wanted to do with his life — fly. He started spending afternoons and weekends at the airport, washing planes for private aircraft owners in exchange for half-hour flights or money he could use for flying lessons. Every evening he practiced flying using Microsoft Flight Simulator software. Today, he’s enrolled at Florida Memorial University, and has earned private and commercial pilot certificates, as well as his flight instructor certificate and instrument rating. Irving also founded Experience Aviation, a non-profit organization that encourages minority young people to pursue aviation careers. Supported by grants, Irving set up the first Experience Aviation Learning Center, using donated computers and Microsoft Flight Simulator software, at Miami’s Opa-locka Airport. Track Barrington’s flight. “That’s Inspiration” Inspiration is the name of Barrington Irving’s plane; there is no doubt that it is appropriately named. Four years ago, Irving started calling aircraft manufacturers asking them to borrow, lease or donate a plane he could use to make aviation history. But when they said no, he didn’t give up. Instead, he decided to ask manufacturers of the various components to donate individual products to him; he then asked Columbia Aircraft Manufacturing if they'd agree to assemble the plane if he could produce the parts. Over the next year, Irving visited aviation trade shows throughout the country and secured more than $300,000 in donated components, including the engine, tires, cockpit systems and seats. Columbia built his airplane — ready for modification with ferry fuel tanks — and Chevron kicked in the fuel while Irving trained.

Barrington Irving (with laptop computer) talks about his around the world flight with a group of grade school students. Irving is attempting to become the youngest and the first black person to fly around the world solo. Barrington is flying a Lancair Columbia 400 on his around the world flight. In order to finance his trip, Barrington has worked hard to raise the necessary funds for the flight. His dedication has taken him to many aviation events where he has met and been encouraged by aviation celebrities, such as Steve Fossett (right) For More Information Experience Aviation Track Barrington’s Flight

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