Milo Gwilliam-Baulch becomes youngest pilot in the UK

Milo Gwilliam-Baulch, who lives near Kington, picked up his licence on his 17th birthday.

"I started flying from the age of nine with my first lesson being at Shobdon," said Milo," who is a student at Hereford Sixth Form College. 

"The first flight was a gift from my family, as I was always very interested in planes and all things aviation from a very young age. 

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"I began my lessons at 14 when you can start logging them. This was my first real flying lesson and was a birthday gift from my Grandad.

"I met my instructor Ryan Knowles, and then started flying from Wolverhampton Halfpenny Green Airport with Aerohire Flight Training.

"I work on the Flight Operations team at Aerohire on a Sunday at Wolverhampton Airport, and I was adamant to do my solo on my 16th birthday.

Milo Gwilliam-Baulch began flying when he was nine (Image: Aerohire Limited)

"It was the first legal time I did on a powered single-engine aircraft. I joined a very small number of people to go solo on their 16th."

Milo flies a single engine piston aircraft at Aerohire Flight Training.

"I completed my pilot's licence skills test at the age of 16 too, and then made a special request with the UK Civil Aviation Authority to collect my licence on my 17th birthday as it cannot be issued before that," added Milo.

"They agreed and on October 31, on my birthday, I collected it, which makes me the youngest licensed pilot in the UK.

"In the future, I plan to be a flight instructor and then move onto commercial and multi-engine flying."