Barrington Irving - contributed

Gordon Williams, Contributor

Jamaican pilot, Barrington Irving, will tomorrow morning take off on a historic trip that will make him the youngest person ever to fly solo around the world.

The 23-year-old Irving, who currently resides in the United States, will leave from the Opa-Locka Airport in Florida for the 'Experience Aviation World Tour', that could take him 41 days, including some 130 actual hours in the cockpit of his Columbia 400 plane, and cross over several countries. He hopes to return to the U.S. by May 1.

'My time'

Attempts by Irving to make the trip last year had to be abandoned due to lack of funds and the threat of adverse weather conditions. However, the pilot said he secured over US$900,000 which was needed, shrugged off the setbacks and is now ready to go.

"I just feel that it's my time," he said. "You know how you practice to do something? Well, it's my time."

According to Irving, all the necessary steps were taken to ensure a successful flight. He completed survival training, including being dropped into freezing water and submerged in a pool while strapped in a flight simulator. Irving also secured air space clearance from the countries his aircraft is expected to cross, among them Saudi Arabia and Greece.

"One of the things I'll definitely be thinking about is not being shot down in hostile airspace," he said with a laugh.

Irving, who was born in St. Catherine and migrated to the U.S. with his family as a child, conceived the idea for the world tour in 2003. According to him, after being introduced to aviation as a teenager by another Jamaican pilot, he was trying to find a way to encourage children, especially those from poor backgrounds, that the sky is really the limit while inspiring them to pursue aviation.

"All it took for me to be involved in aviation is just someone sharing their story with me," he explained.

However, the setbacks did make Irving question his pursuit. Still, he managed to shed those doubts as well.

"There are times when I didn't want to do it anymore, but I pressed on," admitted the man who prides himself on his Jamaican background. "Now I look back and it was definitely worth it. Anything worthwhile in life you have to make that sacrifice."

Never lost sight

He said he has never lost sight of the real purpose of the trip.

"It takes a lot out of you, time from your family, friends," Irving said. "But it's more than me flying around the world. It's going to impact the lives of youth everywhere."

Tomorrow, during a career fair for the public prior to his take-off, Irving is planning to donate backpacks containing aviation material and a model plane to children.

He is hoping that the tour will attract some 200,000 children in the U.S. who will be able to follow his flight path via computer. Irving is also determined to get youth from his homeland to follow his dreams as well.