A Nigerian pilot by the name, Ademilola Odujinrin, has started his mission to be the first African pilot to fly solo around the world.
The Air Djibouti pilot is carrying out his goal using a Cirrus aircraft, and on Friday, October 14 he began the second leg of his journey taking off from North Weald airfield in the United Kingdom.
The Chief Executive Officer of Air Djibouti, Mr Mario Fulgoni, in a statement issued in Abuja on monday said, “Having already completed a transatlantic crossing from Washington D.C. in the light single-propeller aircraft, the Nigerian aviator is now heading to Malta. He will then head on to Djibouti, where he will fly as a commercial pilot for the national flag carrier.”
“From there, Odujinrin will continue around the rest of the world, through India and Australia, and intends to set a further aviation milestone with the fastest U.S. coast-to-coast flight in a single-prop aircraft.”
According to Mr Fulgoni, the flight is part of ‘Project Transcend’, a foundation aimed at inspiring young people to achieve their goals, regardless of their personal circumstances.
He finished by quoting Odujinrin, saying “fewer than 115 people have completed a solo circumnavigation of the globe by air, and it has been my dream since my youth to join them. I hope to set a world first and inspire a generation of people in Africa and beyond.”