Ryan Campbell: "Born To Fly"

The Traffic Pattern

At age 19, after spending two years planning, training, and fundraising over a quarter of a million dollars, Ryan successfully flew solo around the world. This expedition broke the world record for the youngest pilot and first teenager to circumnavigate the globe solo in a single engine airplane. 24,000 nautical miles, 35 destinations, and 15 countries providing some profound life lessons. Although Ryan’s world flight brought its own brand of adversity, the true test would come just two years later. A normal day at work turned into anyone’s worst nightmare. A plane crash that occurred after liftoff left Ryan in the hospital, fighting for his life. Six months of hospitalization, over a year-and-a-half in rehabilitation, and the ongoing struggles of living with a spinal injury transformed Ryan into a different person. “I may have lost out physically, but I gained mentally in ways I never knew possible.”