South Florida Congressmen Alcee L. Hastings and Kendrick B. Meek Honor Pilot Barrington Irving at a Capitol Hill Ceremony

WASHINGTON, DC – Congressman Alcee L. Hastings (D-FL) and Congressman Kendrick B. Meek (D-FL) presented pilot Barrington Irving with a Congressional Resolution (H. Res. 661) for making history by becoming the youngest pilot and the first person of African descent to fly solo around the world.

The ceremony took place in the United States Capitol Building.

The Resolution is aimed to encourage the pursuit of more initiatives like Irving's nonprofit organization, Experience Aviation, Inc., which encourages youth and underrepresented groups to pursue careers in aviation.

Representatives Hastings and Meek introduced H. Res. 661 with 9 other original cosponsors. The bill passed with 44 bi-partisan cosponsors.

"Barrington Irving is one of the greatest young heroes of our time," said Rep. Hastings. "His triumph demonstrates that if you reach for the sky, you truly can make it, and in turn, make history. The passage of this resolution is one of many initiatives to come that will reprioritize opportunities in aviation for our youth."

"When the younger generation is looking for a role model and hero, they need to look no further than Barrington Irving. I am especially proud to honor Barrington during Black History Month," said Rep. Meek. "This young pilot proved that when you dream big dreams and work hard, the extraordinary is possible. I am honored to call Barrington Irving a constituent."

The 24-year-old pilot, who was born in Kingston, Jamaica and raised in Opa-locka, Florida discovered his passion for aviation at the age of 15 when Captain Gary Robinson, a Jamaican airline pilot who has since served as his mentor, took him to tour the cockpit of a United Airlines Boeing 777.

Irving overcame financial hardship to pursue his dream to become a pilot by washing planes and working odd jobs to pay for flying lessons. He turned down college football scholarships and enrolled in a local community college to study aeronautics. Soon he was awarded a joint Air Force/Florida Memorial University Flight Awareness Scholarship and transferred to FMU, where he excelled in academics and flight training courses. By age 19, he had earned his Private Pilot and Flight Instructor licenses and his Commercial and Instrument Ratings.

On March 23, 2007, Irving departed from Opa-Locka Executive Airport in South Florida in a single-engine plane he named Inspiration. His 30,000 mile journey, followed in the media and online by tens of thousands of students and others worldwide, took him to 27 cities on four continents and ended on June 27, 2007.

According to the Organization of Black Airline Pilots, there are only 674 African American pilots, 14 of them women, among the nation's 71,000 pilots flying with major commercial, commuter and freight airlines.

U.S. Rep. Alcee L. Hastings represents the 23^rd Congressional District of Florida which includes parts of Broward, Palm Beach, Hendry, Martin and St. Lucie Counties. He serves as the Democratic Chairman of Florida's Congressional Delegation.

U.S. Rep. Kendrick B. Meek represents the 17^th Congressional District of Florida which includes parts of Miami-Dade and Broward Counties. He serves as the lone Floridian sitting on the House Committee on Ways and Means and also sits on the House Armed Services Committee.

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