Shaesta Waiz (born 1987) is an American

aviator An aircraft pilot or aviator is a person who controls the flight of an aircraft by operating its Aircraft flight control system, directional flight controls. Some other aircrew, aircrew members, such as navigators or flight engineers, are al ...

. She is the first female certified civilian pilot born in

Afghanistan Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan,; prs, امارت اسلامی افغانستان is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. Referred to as the Heart of Asia, it is bordere ...

, and in 2017, became the youngest woman to fly solo around the world in a single-engine aircraft - a record she held until

Zara Rutherford Zara Rutherford (born 5 July 2002) is a Belgian-British aviator. At age 19, she became the youngest female pilot to fly solo around the world and the first person to complete a circumnavigation in a microlight aircraft after a five-month journ ...

completed the flight at the age of 19 in January, 2022. Waiz was born in Afghanistan. Her family traveled to the United States in 1987 to escape the

Soviet–Afghan War The Soviet–Afghan War was a protracted armed conflict fought in the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan from 1979 to 1989. It saw extensive fighting between the Soviet Union and the Afghan mujahideen (alongside smaller groups of anti-Soviet ...

. She went on to study at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, where she started the Women's Ambassador Program to mentor and support young women pursuing an education in aviation and engineering. She founded the non-profit organization Dreams Soar, Inc and planned a solo flight around the world, originally scheduled to launch in 2016. On October 4, 2017, Waiz completed the world solo trip across five continents, with 30 stops in 22 countries in a Beechcraft Bonanza A36.

Recognition

She is the subject of a children's book ''Fly, Girl, Fly!'' by Nancy Roe Pimm.

References

1987 births Living people American women aviators Afghan emigrants to the United States Embry–Riddle Aeronautical University alumni Women founders Organization founders 21st-century American women {{aviation-bio-stub

Recognition

See also

References