Teen becomes UK’s youngest pilot on his 17th birthday
A teenager said becoming the UK’s youngest pilot on his 17th birthday is something he will never forget.
Milo Gwilliam-Baulch loved the idea of being able to fly, and dreamt of flying solo and flying his family and friends around as a child.
Living near to Shobdon airfield, he saw the aircraft flying over his Kington home, and his family paid for his first lesson at the age of nine.
Then his grandad gave him a birthday gift of his first lesson at 14, when you can legally start logging them.
Milo met his instructor Ryan Knowles, and started flying from Wolverhampton's Halfpenny Green Airport with Aerohire Flight Training.
He said: “I did my first solo flight on my 16th birthday, the first legal time to do so on powered single engine aircraft.
“I completed my pilot’s licence skills test at the age of 16 too, and made a special request to the UK Civil Aviation Authority to collect my licence on my 17th birthday, as it cannot be issued before that.
“They agreed and on October 31 I collected it, which makes me the youngest pilot in the UK.”
The former Lady Hawkins High School pupil, who is now studying A Levels at Hereford Sixth Form College, added: “It feels very surreal that I'm the youngest.
“I am just very lucky to have such supportive people around me, especially a supportive flying school, Aerohire, and all the members. Getting my licence the way I have done is something that I will never forget.
“My family are very proud, especially as I am the only person in the family to do anything to do with aviation. My friends are equally as proud, and can't wait for me to take them flying.”
Milo works as part of the Flight Operations team at Aerohire on a Sunday, and in the near future he plans to be a flight instructor before moving onto commercial and multi-engine flying.
A spokesman for Aerohire Limited said: “We are so proud of your immense achievement Mi-lo and we cannot wait to see where you fly next and how you develop your flying career. Keep doing your thing and we are with you all the way.”
Milo thanked everyone who has supported his flying journey so far including his family, friends, Ryan and Aerohire Limited.
