Captain Barrington Antonio Irving, Jr.
November 11, 1983)
First black aviation to solo fly around the world.
Barrington Irving is a native of Jamaica West Indies, He was born in Kingston, Jamaica in 1983, and grew up in Miami, Florida. He always knew he wanted to fly. He is a graduate of Miami Northwestern High School where he turned down multiple football scholarship offers.
With his sights set on aviation. He began working odd jobs and studying long hours, studying
aerospace engineering at Florida Memorial University so that he could compete for fellowships
that would get him his dream of a pilot license.
In 2005, Barrington founded the Miami-based nonprofit organization Experience Aviation, Inc.
(EA) to introduce other young people to career opportunities in the field. In 2006, he opened the
EA Learning Center provides middle and high school students with an after-school Discover Aviation” program that includes career guidance in the summer of 2007, the
Center launched a 10-week program entitled Build & Soar that gave 60 students the opportunity
to construct a Zenith XL aircraft.
Irving built his plane from more than $300,000 in donated parts, and in 2007 he began a record-
setting journey around the globe. After a 97-day flight, from March 23-June 27, he safely landed
in his airplane, the Inspiration, and became the first black and youngest person to fly solo around
the world.
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