FT. LAUDERDALE – He’s 23-years-old. He has set two world records. He’s flown solo around the world and on Tuesday, August 28, 2007 at 2 p.m. he’ll be in Broward County to receive honors from the Broward County Board of County Commissioners.
Barrington Irving, the youngest and first person of African descent to fly solo around the world, will lead the Pledge of Allegiance and will be presented with the 2007 Mayor’s Award by Broward County Mayor Josephus Eggelletion, Jr. The presentation takes place at the Broward County Governmental Center, 115 S. Andrews Ave., in Fort Lauderdale, Room 422.
“It is important to publicly recognize the talent and ambition of this extraordinary young man,” said Mayor Eggelletion. “He was raised here in South Florida and has, literally, reached great heights. He is a role model and an inspiration.”
On March 23, 2007, Jamaica-born and South Florida-raised Barrington Irving stepped into a single-engine plane dubbed the “Inspiration” and embarked on a 26,800-mile, round-the-world flight. On his voyage he visited Canada, Portugal, Spain, Italy, Greece, the United Arab Emirates, India, Thailand, China and Japan. When the 23-year old returned to Miami on June 27, he had set two world records: he is the first person of African descent and the youngest person ever to fly solo around the globe.
Captain Barrington Irving
Barrington hopes his historic flight will inspire other young people to resist the negative influences of the streets and work toward their dreams. He is now concentrating on Experience Aviation, a nonprofit organization that he created in 2005 that introduces middle and high school students to career opportunities in aviation and aerospace. The group is now developing after-school and weekend programs, and Barrington is thinking of other innovative ideas to pursue in promoting aviation education throughout the nation and the world.
