Irving Test-Flies Plane Built by Students

October 23, 2008 — Barrington Irving flew his plane, Inspiration, around the world in 2007, becoming the first person of African descent and youngest person to do so. But more than set a world record, his flight provided inspiration for countless others who dreamed of flying. A year later, a new plane, called Inspiration II, is providing that same feeling for 60 Miami area high school students. The students built the plane in 10 weeks this summer, through Irving’s Build & Soar program. Supervised by George T. Baker Aviation School instructors, Irving successfully test flew the plane — a Zodiac 601XL kit-built plane — on October 15. Just before take off from Miami’s Opa-Locka airport, Irving told the crowd: "I'm not nervous about flying this aircraft because I believe in our students. I'm about to do something monumental." Miami's CBS-4 TV reported that Irving took off, but returned to the runway shortly because the canopy came loose. The second try was without problems, with Irving taking the plane up to 1,000 feet and performing a series of turns. Upon his return, he was greeted by a group of ecstatic students. Irving said, "I feel good. I'm shaking, but these kids did a really great job. They built a solid airplane; I feel like a father." Intended to give students exposure to the field of aviation, Build & Soar is offered by Irving's non-profit Experience Aviation Inc. Students had to build up their grades for a chance to build the plane and participate in other aeronautic projects. Irving said he decided to test-fly Inspiration II as a "testament to my faith in these students and their abilities. I flew around the world to show other youth that anyone with a dream who is willing to work hard can achieve what others consider impossible. With Build & Soar, I wanted to give Miami high school students a chance to show the world what they can do."

Barrington Irving flew the student-made plane to 1,000 feet. Photo: Experience Aviation Barrington Irving answers media questions after the flight. Photo: Experience Aviation Sixty high school students built Inspiration II in 10 weeks. Photo: Experience Aviation

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