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Title: |
Captain Barrington Irving to address STEM Academy at the Cradle of Aviation |
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Sub Title: |
Presented by Cradle of Aviation Museum, Long Island's Air and Space Museum |
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Date: |
August 1, 2012 |
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Time: |
10:00 AM
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| Admission: | Free admission, reservations required. Group reservations at 516-572-4066. |
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Location: |
Cradle of Aviation Museum |
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Street Address: |
1 Davis Avenue |
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Garden City, NY 11530 |
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Description: |
Captain Barrington Irving will address the incoming freshman of the Westbury STEM Magnet Academy at the Cradle. Captain Irving is the youngest person and first black pilot in history to fly solo around the world. He will be discussing his journey, passion for flying and his goal of encouraging young people to explore career opportunities in the field of aviation.
About Captain Barrington Irving
On June 27, 2007, 23-year-old Captain Barrington Irving secured his place in history as the first black pilot and youngest person ever to fly solo around the globe. When he took off from Miami on March 23rd in a single-engine aircraft, thousands of students and well-wishers cheered him on. Over the next three months, he flew 30,000 miles, traversing four continents and encountering thunderstorms, snow storms, icing, sand storms and monsoons along the way.
In December 2007, the US Congress passed a Resolution honoring Barrington and his achievement and acknowledging his pioneering work in the field of aviation education for young people. On February 12, 2008, members of Congress presented him with the Resolution at a ceremony on Capitol Hill. In April 2008, he was honored by the Florida State Senate with their highest honor, the Medallion of Excellence.
Born in Kingston, Jamaica, Barrington moved to South Florida at the age of six and spent his youth in inner-city Miami. He did well in high school but saw a football scholarship as the only route to college. At 15, his life changed when he met United Airlines Captain Gary Robinson, who took an interest in the young man's future. Captain Robinson's mentoring and encouragement helped motivate Barrington to earn his pilot's and flight instructors licenses as he worked toward a college degree.
In 2003, Barrington founded the non-profit organization, Experience Aviation, Inc., to introduce other young people to the fields of aviation and aerospace. In November 2006, with the help of local and federal grants, he opened the first EA Learning Center in Miami. The center offers hands-on-education programs, career guidance and mentoring support to middle and high school students.
Barrington's goal in making the historic world flight was to inspire these students, and thousands of others throughout the world, to set and pursue their own goals. He named his plane "Inspiration, because that's what I wanted my historic venture to be for young people. They can look at me and realize that if I can achieve my dream, they can, too." |
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Contact: |
516-572-4111 |
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