Local News

Record Setting Pilot Flies Plane Built By Students

Barrington Irving Is The Youngest & First African American Pilot To Fly Solo Around The World

He Flew A Zenith XL Aircraft Built By Students

Aircraft Named "Inspiration II"

OPA-LOCKA (CBS4) ― Record breaking pilot and inspiration to millions; Captain Barrington Irving put his life on the line as he took to the friendly skies for a test ride in an aircraft that was built from the ground up by Miami high school students.

"I'm not nervous about flying this aircraft because I believe in our students," Irving told the crowd shortly before take off.

The Zenith XL's wings, the propellers, the gear stick and even the engine were all constructed by 60 Miami Dade high school students over the summer as part of Irving's "Build and Soar Program."

While it usually takes a year to build an experimental plane, the students accomplished their task in about 10 weeks. As the first black pilot to fly around the world, Irving's program is designed to show inner city kids that the sky doesn't have to be the limit. To prove that he believes in his student's accomplishments, Irving took to the field and prepared to give the Inspiration II its test flight.

Wednesday morning hundreds gathered at Opa-locka Airport to watch and cheer him on – all hoping for the best.

After buckling in and starting the engine, Irving headed into the wild blue yonder – but not for long.

He returned to the runway shortly after take off because a canopy had come loose. On take two, there are no hitches and Irving takes the student built aircraft up to a thousand feet where he cruises for a bit before performing a series of turns.

On landing he was greeted by a group of ecstatic students.

"I feel excited because it's very inspirational to know I built a plane," said Denzel Brown.

"Since Barrington did this, I can accomplish my goals and do what I want to do," said Prentiss Campbell who was proud of the aircraft they had built.

As for their mentor;

"I feel good," said Irving, "I'm shaking but these kids did a really great job. They built a solid airplane, I feel like a father."

Build & Soar, a 10-week summer program, is offered by Irving's non-profit Experience Aviation Inc. in collaboration with the George T. Baker Aviation School.

The students who built the aircraft named it "Inspiration II" in honor of the single-engine Columbia 400 aircraft, called Inspiration, that carried Captain Irving on his 30,000-mile, record-setting flight last year.

The first-ever Build & Soar program gave 60 high school students the opportunity to learn about how a plane is constructed, one piece and system at a time, and to work as members of a unified team. Students in the program also engaged in project-based learning opportunities where they built rockets, constructed wind tunnel aerodynamic flight testing, and participated in numerous real and computer simulations. Baker Aviation instructors, using problem-based learning strategies, relied on a hands-on approach to teaching, an alternative to the traditional classroom method, to promote understanding; integration; and retention of concepts, facts and skills throughout the program.

Irving 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."

Half the students in the program attended the Baker Aviation School. The other 30 students, from the Miami Dade and Broward County school systems, participated in an after-school Discover Aviation course taught by Experience Aviation instructors in the spring semester, 2008. Some of the students who took the course started with low grades or showed little interest in their studies. With Captain Irving as a mentor, they worked to bring their GPAs up to 2.0 so they could qualify for the 10-week summer portion of Build & Soar. Watching the plane take shape was the experience of a lifetime for some of these students, many of whom now plan to become pilots or air traffic controllers or pursue other careers in the aviation industry.

(© MMVIII, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)

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