When Chloe Familton was trying to rent an aircraft to fly around Australia last year, she says she was met with a lot of skepticism.
The Sydney, Australia, pilot was 17 when she started planning a solo flight around her home country. She aimed to raise money for charity and inspire young women to join the field of aviation.
“I actually approached … three different providers when it came to renting the aircraft for the trip, because the first two believed that I wouldn’t be capable of completing the flight because I am a young woman,” Familton, who turned 18 during her journey, told As It Happens guest host Megan Williams.
But the third time was the charm, and Familton found herself a 1980 Cessna 172 from Blue Sky Airways, which she promptly used to prove her doubters wrong.
On Dec. 30, after travelling 14,000 kilometres (or 7,500 nautical miles) she landed to much fanfare at the …