March 4, 2008 —Barrington Irving, then a 23-year old senior majoring in aerospace at Florida Memorial University, climbed into a single-engine plane called "Inspiration" and embarked on a 26,800-mile, round-the-world flight on March 23, 2007.
When he returned to Miami on June 27, he had set two world records — the first person of African descent and the youngest person ever to fly solo around the globe.
Now you can add one more accomplishment to that list — congressional honor.
On Feb. 12, Barrington was honored in front of the U.S. Congress for his accomplishments. There, he announced a new program that will have 60 Miami-Dade inner-city high school students build his next single-engine plane, “Inspiration II.”
''It's an unheard of thing and a big challenge and there's a lot of risks involved,'' Irving, 24, told The Miami Herald. ``But you know me, I love those things.''
Irving plans to fly “Inspiration II” himself, The Jamaica Observer reported. ''I'm going to have complete trust in them,'' Irving said. ``Now it's their turn to be the world's inspiration.''
In December, the House unanimously approved the resolution, which encourages museums throughout the nation to commemorate Irving’s record-breaking trip.
In a statement, U.S. Rep. Alcee Hastings called Irving ``one of the greatest young heroes of our time. His triumph demonstrates that if you reach for the sky, you truly can make it, and in turn, make history.”
"When the younger generation is looking for a role model and hero, they need to look no further than Barrington Irving," Rep. Kendrick Meek told the Jamaica Observer. "This young pilot proved that when you dream big dreams and work hard, the extraordinary is possible."
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Barrington Iving has received congressional honor for his round-the-world trip in a plane called “Inspiration.” Photo courtesy Barrington Irving.
A well-wisher congratulates Barrington Irving at the ceremony held on Capitol Hill. Photo: CHUCK KENNEDY/MCT
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