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Outlook: My history-making solo flight around the world

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Ademilola “Lola” Odujinrin

23/08/2022 GMT

My history-making solo flight around the world

BBC World Service - Outlook, My history-making solo flight around the world

Ademilola “Lola” Odujinrin became the first African pilot to fly solo around the world

Ademilola Odujinrin grew up with one ambition: to be a pilot. He set off to fly his single-engine plane across 5 continents and got an unexpected helping hand from a rock star.

Growing up in Lagos, Nigeria, Ademilola "Lola" Odujinrin always dreamed of becoming a pilot, and although his father was against the idea and pilot training is expensive, Lola worked hard to make his dream a reality. But he had one other ambition:  to fly - solo - around the world. He bought his own single-engine plane and set off to cross five continents. When he ran out of money just three stops into his journey, Iron Maiden frontman Bruce Dickinson stepped in to help and Lola finally achieved his goal in 2017, making history as the first African to fly solo around the world. He's now working as a commercial pilot based in the UK. The sounds you heard of Lola's journey are from his own recordings. 

Murtada al-Hachimi also had a dream - to organise Iraq's first ever hot air balloon festival. He set out to do this in 2014 - to project an image of peace to the world, but his plan coincided with the rise of the Islamic State group in the country. This interview was first broadcast in June 2019 


Get in touch: outlook@bbc.com

(Photo: Ademilola “Lola” Odujinrin.  Credit: Courtesy of Ademilola “Lola” Odujinrin)

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