Barrington Irving is the youngest individual & first person of African descent to fly solo around the world.

On March 23, 2007, 23-year-old Barrington Irving embarked on a solo flight around the world to show other youth that if he could fulfill his dream, they could too. When he took off from Miami in a single-engine aircraft, some 3000 students and well-wishers cheered him on. Over the next three months, he flew 26,800 miles, traversing four continents and encountering snow, rain, sandstorms, and monsoons along the way. When he returned to Miami on June 27th, he secured his place in history as the first black pilot and the youngest person ever to fly solo around the globe.

Born in Kingston, Jamaica, Barrington moved to South Florida at the age of 6 and spent his youth in inner-city Miami. He did well in high school but saw a football scholarship as the only route to college. At 15, his life changed when he met a Jamaican United Airlines Captain, Gary Robinson, who took an interest in the young man's future. Captain Robinson's mentoring and encouragement helped motivate Barrington to earn his pilot's licenses as he worked toward a college degree.

In 2003, Barrington founded the nonprofit organization, Experience Aviation Inc., to introduce other young people to the field of aviation. In November 2006, with the help of local and federal grants, he opened the first EA Learning Center in Miami. The Center offers aviation education and career guidance programs to middle and high school students.

For more information, please visit http://www.experienceaviation.org

Barrington Irving was featured on our The Mile High Club which aired on February 21, 2010.