Teen Begins Quest for Solo Flight Record

Australian Ryan Campbell, 19, is flying around the world
By Newser Editors and Wire Services
Posted Jul 31, 2013 3:52 PM CDT
Teen Begins Quest for Solo Flight Record
Ryan Campbell stands in front of his plane.   (AP Photo/Carrie Antlfinger)

A 19-year-old Australian aims to become the youngest person to go solo around the world and could break a world record set just a month ago by a 21-year-old Californian. Ryan Campbell left Wollongong, Australia, on June 30 and wants to finish his trip by Sept. 7. He took off a day after Jack Wiegand landed in Fresno, California, finishing his world flight in 59 days. Both young men spent much of this week in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, at AirVenture, one of the world's largest air shows.

A number of young pilots began dreaming of a world record in 2007 when Barrington Irving, then a student at Florida Memorial University, completed a solo flight at age 23. Wiegand broke a record set in May by James Anthony Tan, of Malaysia, who was just shy of his 22nd birthday. Wiegand says he has no concerns about giving up his title to Campbell in a few weeks: "Records are meant to be broken." (More Ryan Campbell stories.)

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