Fly Like an Eagle

Meet local history-maker Barrington Irving

Comments (0) By Raina McLeod Thursday, May 31 2007

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Next time you’re on an airplane, drown out the torturous cries of the wailing babies and the sniffling cabin mates and try to forget that the air you’re sucking on is as used as the blanket you’ve just swaddled yourself in. As the plane lifts off, imagine you’re the pilot, sitting way up in the front seat of this huge roller coaster in the sky. Would you toss your cookies as you watch the ground disappear from beneath you? Or would you be like Barrington A. Irving and grab the skies by their fluffy white balls? Since very few people have or can do what Irving is attempting, we’ll assume you chose the former. And while you were doing that in a daydream, the Jamaican-born, Miami-bred Irving was on a mission to set records in real life.

This past March 23 he set off to become the first person of African descent and the youngest person ever to fly solo around the globe, and tonight at the World Flight Adventure Gala at Parrot Jungle Island, Barrington will be celebrating his success. There will be cocktails, dinner, and a silent auction -- as if you’ll need anything more than Barrington’s tales about flying the friendly skies. For ticket info, visit www.experienceaviation.org.
Mon., June 4