PHOENIX, June 11, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — An attempt at the world record for youngest around the world solo is currently underway, and the pilot will be landing to visit AeroGuard Flight Training Center in Phoenix, Arizona, on June 16, 2021. Young Travis Ludlow, from the U.K., aged just 18 years and 123 days, is attempting to break the current world record by 30 days, having left from London 18 days ago and aiming to return in early July.
Ludlow, who is now halfway through his world record attempt, will be visiting Phoenix while on his route, stopping at AeroGuard FTC at Deer Valley Airport, where he did part of his training for the world record attempt during school breaks. Back in February 2020, Ludlow completed his Instrument Rating training with AeroGuard, allowing him to fly in cloudy conditions and at night, when pilot visibility is impaired, during the world record attempt.
From Phoenix, Ludlow will continue to head east across the U.S., including visiting other AeroGuard campuses in Texas and Florida, before going over the Atlantic Ocean to complete his mission where it all started. Already Ludlow has traveled from the U.K. through Europe, across Russia, into Alaska, and then down into the mainland United States. The world trip is expected to take a total of 45 days and fly over 24,900 miles to meet the requirements for the Around the World attempt.
Ludlow has been not only preparing for this trip for over three years, but even before that, having started flying gliders at just 12 years old to become the youngest glider pilot in the U.K., flying solo on his 14th birthday and receiving his private pilot license at just 16 years old. “Flying has been a passion of mine ever since I can remember, and flying around the world solo has been my dream for years. I’m so excited to now be on the adventure I have dreamed of my whole life,” Ludlow said.
Ludlow had originally planned to make this world record attempt in the summer of 2020, at the age of just 17, but his plans had to be postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Twelve months removed, Ludlow feels like it is now or never and is still able to break the record – although not as early as hoped – while maintaining safety, social distancing and other precautions traveling across the world.
Ludlow choose to do a portion of his flight training in Phoenix as the weather lends itself to accelerated flight training with ideal conditions year-round. AeroGuard Flight Training Center, which trains pilots for careers as professional airline pilots, was able to complete Ludlow’s training in a condensed timeframe to facilitate the world record attempt. Pilot training is an in-demand career with projected pilot shortages in the decades to come, given an aging workforce and FAA-mandated retirements.
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World Record Youngest Solo Flight Attempt
SOURCE AeroGuard Flight Training Center
