TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA)– Travis Ludlow is trying to become to youngest pilot to travel around the world in a plane.
The 18-year-old took off from the Netherlands on May 29 and made a pit stop in Tampa over the weekend,
Ludlow has already flown more than 16,000 miles and if he’s successful, he will achieve this record in about two weeks
“I’m glad I have this passion for it and I love flying,” Ludlow said.
The young British pilot plans to travel more than 25,000 miles, visit 16 countries and four continents.
He would ultimately end back in the Netherlands and become the youngest pilot to circumnavigate the world in a single-engine aircraft.
Ludlow says he’s always had a passion for flying. He started this trip just days after graduating high school.
“I’ve always been interested in flying as long as I can remember,” Ludlow said.
Ludlow says he’s faced some challenges. The pandemic delayed the trip and changed the route, but he persisted.
“So many times I thought this wouldn’t happen and now here it is,” Ludlow said.
Ludlow says in the end, he wants to inspire young people.
“I want to show young people that anyone can, no matter what happens, as long as you believe in yourself you can follow your dreams,” Ludlow said.
Ludlow says the current age record is 18-years-old and 163 days. He hopes to break the record by 18 days.
Ludlow became the youngest glider pilot, flying solo on February 13, 2016, his 14th birthday. He went on to pass his Private Pilot’s Licence five months before he was allowed to carry one.
He became the youngest certified British pilot and that allowed him to travel to the U.S. to continue his training with AeroGuard Flight Training Center.
Ludlow has teamed up with Unicef to promote the great work that they do for children and others around the world.
