Meet Ademilola Odujinrin, first African pilot to fly the world solo
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Nigerian-British aviator Ademilola Odujinrin has made aviation history after becoming the first African to complete a solo flight around the world, finishing a demanding nine-month journey that spanned five continents in a single-engine aircraft.
Popularly known as “Lola,” Odujinrin completed his “One Man, One Plane” expedition on March 29, 2017, landing at Washington Dulles International Airport—the same location where the journey originally began months earlier.
Reflecting on the achievement, he said: “Fewer than 115 people have completed a solo circumnavigation of the globe by air, and it’s been my dream since my youth to join them.
Air Djibouti CEO Mario Fulgoni and Cardiff Aviation Chairman Bruce Dickinson share my love for flying and have been hugely supportive in helping me realise a lifetime ambition. I hope to set a world first and inspire a generation of people in Africa and beyond.”
Born in South London, Ademilola Odujinrin moved to Nigeria at a young age. He earned his Private Pilot License at just 20 years old, completing it in 19 days, and later trained in both the United Kingdom and the United States. Over the years, he built international experience in commercial aviation, flying for Arik Air for five years and later working with Air Djibouti.
Since obtaining his commercial licence in 2011, he has accumulated more than 4,000 flying hours and is certified to operate the Boeing 737, one of the world’s most widely used commercial aircraft.
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