Wing and a prayer propel a young black pilot to aviation records
Barrington Irving shunned the drugs and gangs of his Miami neighborhood for his dream of flying – now he helps other kids soar.
from the January 14, 2008 edition
Page 2 of 3
Robinson says he saw something special in the young student – humility coupled with a determination to overcome any obstacle.
"I speak to a lot of young people. Some get it and some don't. When I spoke to Barrington, we spoke for an hour. He got it. He wanted to fly," says Robinson, who became Irving's mentor.
From then on, Irving spent every spare minute at Opa-locka airport, washing planes to raise money for flying lessons. He bought flight simulator software from tips, and spent hours on the family's aging computer.
"I'm grateful for what I had," Irving says. "When my parents first came here, when I was 6, they worked hard and I learned so much from them. A lot of young people aren't blessed or as fortunate to have both parents in the household taking care of them."
He credits his parents' guidance for helping him escape the crime that claimed many of his peers in the depressed Miami Gardens neighborhood.
Their shared faith, he says, is another constant in their lives. "I spoke to God a lot while I was alone up there," he says. "My relationship with Him played a huge part in what I've done and what I'm doing. It helped me get through the challenge and keeps me grounded, no matter how great a feat I accomplished."
For his journey, Irving, who completed his flight training at Florida Memorial University with a community scholarship, begged his own sponsorship, and $300,000 worth of parts from aircraft manufacturers for his custom-built plane. (Naming the plane "Inspiration," he says, was a no-brainer).
Even so, it was a shoestring affair. The day he flew out of Opa-locka, Irving had just $30 in his pocket, and fundraising continued through his journey. Other challenges included his fear of heights, inability to swim (he learned to float in case of emergency), and the solitude. "One of the things that can cripple any pilot is getting too emotional and losing focus," he says.
The rewards were some stunning views of the planet and a crash-course in world culture. Monsoons and a storm allowed him to enjoy extra time in Calcutta, Tokyo, and Hong Kong.
"I wish I'd had more time to spend in Bangkok because half a day was not enough to learn much about the Thai culture," he says. "But that gives me a reason to return someday. There's so much to learn about the different countries and cultures in the world."
As the eldest of three boys, Irving sometimes worries that his youngest brother's ambition to become an astronaut might be too much for their mother Clovalyn, who, he says, was apprehensive about his own trip. His father, whose own dreams of obtaining a private pilot license were thwarted by tight finances, is unsurprised by his son's accomplishments.
"I have a great sense of pride knowing that Barrington is a trailblazer in the family. I'm a high-risk person and I think he got those genes, he's a child of destiny and of purpose," says Barrington Irving Sr.
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