An 18-year-old pilot is touching down at Donegal Airport today on an incredible world record attempt.
Travis Ludlow (18), from Buckinghamshire, England was expected to land in Ireland yesterday, but was forced to change his plan by air traffic management.
Travis wrote last night: “To the wonderful people of Donegal, I am sorry I did not make it to you today but I will get to you tomorrow, for sure. I look forward to meeting some of you and seeing your beautiful part of the world.”
Travis is attempting to break the record for the youngest person to fly solo round the globe in a single-engine aircraft.
He has been flying since May 29th, and has already crossed over Poland, Russia, Alaska, Canada, Greenland and Iceland.
His remaining hops will take him from Benbecula, a small Island of the West Coast of Scotland, to Donegal and on to Portugal, Morocco, Gibraltar, Spain, UK, France and Belgium – landing back in the Netherlands on July 7th.
The teenage pilot is making the trip in a Cessna 172R, regarded as the safest single engine aircraft ever built, upgraded with the latest avionics and aerodynamic fairings.