US Teen Pilot Becomes The Youngest African American To Fly Over Continental US

Isaiah Cooper, a 16-year old pilot from California, USA, has become the youngest African American to fly around the continental US.

According to ABC7, the teenage boy capped the 8,000-mile flight around the country over a period of two weeks in preparation for what he hopes will be a record-setting trip around the world.

Sources say the pilot, who was accompanied by a flight instructor, faced some challenges during his flight. He was forced to make a hard landing that heavily damaged his original plane after an extreme wind shear in Wyoming. Yet, he insisted that quitting was never an option for him.

He said, “Just stay focused. There’s a lot of people that will try to detract you from the road that you’re on. Whatever you want to do, you can do it, just put your mind to it.”

The flight instructor, Robin Petgrave, told NBC, “He was able to execute the emergency procedures flawlessly, got it on the road, landed, didn’t damage the houses, the schools, the construction crew, nothing. I mean, he got out of that thing safely.”

Cooper said he hopes to become the youngest black pilot to fly around the world solo next year when he turns 18 and hopes his attempt to break a world record will inspire other kids to turn their lives around and work to achieve their goals.

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“There’s a higher power that’s always there trying to have you focused, so whatever you want to do, you can do it. Just put your mind to it,” Cooper told NBC.

Photo credit: KABC