I wrote last year reminding people that we don’t report on any aviation records tied to being the youngest pilot to do some aviation thing. We don’t because young people doing something that involves copious amounts of lethal risk is a really bad idea. It’s just a fact that flying around is indeed very risky and 17-year-olds by definition have skinny logbooks and are still developing judgment on risk management. So why would we promote such a stunt? The answer is, we won’t.
Still, I got some pushback about that earlier story. One very unpleasant commenter on social media claimed that I was only coming out against such record attempts because the then would-be round-the-worlder was a young woman, so it followed in the commenter’s challenged sense of logic that I must then be sexist. Yes, everyone who criticizes any woman for anything is a misogynist. The commenter also, for reason she wouldn’t expound upon, found ironic that I would be sexist. Whatever. You get used to the haters and the idiots.
So, I hope she’s sitting down as I weigh in on this one, the proposed around the world mission by her younger brother, a young man. We will not be reporting on this one either because we think it’s a terrible idea regardless of gender.
Neither apparently will AVweb, as editor Paul Bertorelli announced in a piece recently, as though AVweb had come up with the policy that I proposed and have followed for more than 20 years. The policy is new to them. They have reported on such records in the recent past, as has Flying magazine, which didn’t while I was there, by the way.
It has never made sense to report on youngest to fly around the world records. The stunt is as reckless today as it was 20 years ago, and it will be equally foolhardy 20 years hence. But ultimately, I don’t care (that much) about not getting credit. I’m just happy that more and more media outlets are just saying no to reporting on such records.
The idea, of course, and I hope this goes without saying is that without the publicity surrounding the record attempts, young people won’t attempt them. So with that in mind, if you’re reading this, unnamed younger brother of the unnamed young woman I suggested not to fly around the world last year, you shouldn’t do it either.
Because if you remember, one of my concerns was that if a very young pilot goes for the record, then the next time an even younger pilot will try to better the mark. And what do you know, that exact thing is happening. Does anyone outside of this kid’s family think it’s a good idea?
Even the airplane maker, Shark, which sponsored the older sister’s successful mission, is backing out, citing the same reasons as I’ve outlined above, that is, in short, such a mission puts a young pilot at great risk. So, great call, people at Shark.
I just hope thatmajor media outlets get the message, though how likely is that. But most of all, I hope this young man decides to do something else, perhaps hanging out with his friends, studying for exams or working on a new rating. Things a teenager should be doing.
