IT was chocks away for one young pilot's first solo flight on his 16th birthday.
Lewis Lynch might not be old enough to drive a car but he took to the air on his own and performed a perfect circuit of Southampton Airport before safely touching down.
He said: "When the instructor stepped out of the plane I felt nervous but also excited. It took about 20 minutes and I was in the air for about 15.
"I went into a circuit and landed. It was one of the best landings I've ever done. It was a brilliant birthday present."
The Woolston teenager, who has been flying since he was 13, is training for his private pilot's licence (PPL) which he plans to gain next year.
Lewis added: "I want to fly passenger jets. When I'm 18 I'm going to hopefully do my commercial pilot's licence which will take about two years, depending on where you do it."
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