Newcastle pilot Ryan Campbell, formerly of Merimbula, was six he fell in love with aeroplanes. It was a passion that was to dominate his childhood and it was no surprise when at 15 Ryan became the youngest pilot in Australia. 

At 19 he became the youngest pilot ever to fly solo around the world in a single engine aircraft. 

Ryan will release an account of his incredible adventures in Born to Fly to be published by Harlequin Australia this August. 

Inspired by his father and grandfather who were also aviators, Ryan sought a challenge and, like adventurers before him, he found one that spoke to him more than the rest: He wanted to fly around the world, solo, in a single-engine aircraft.

Showing maturity, determination and courage beyond his years, Ryan fundraised $250,000 from scratch and drew on the advice of renowned aviators such as Jim Hazelton and Dick Smith before setting out on his thrilling 70-day odyssey.

Ryan landed 31 times in 15 countries and covered more than 24,000 nautical miles, while trying to avoid that ‘alternative aerodrome’, the ocean.

In Born to Fly, Ryan captures all the dry-mouthed excitement of flying alone above the earth with only one engine and recounts his adventures from staying calm with iced over wings, landing in a country where you are not welcome and dealing with international media when still a teenager.

Born to Fly is a fascinating view of the world from above, shown to us by a dry, funny and highly charismatic man who has already done more in his short life than most of us do in a lifetime.

The book will be available in August 2014.