The young pilots manned a flight from London to Malta, after McWilliams earlier passed a course ascending to the rank of captain.

Their employer, the British carrier Easyjet, believes McWilliams has become the world's youngest commercial airline captain ~ with co-pilot Elsworth also one of the country's youngest co-pilots.

Young guns: Easyjet pilots Luke Elsworth and Kate McWilliams.

Of the 130,000 airline pilots worldwide, just 450 are female captains according to the International Society of Women Airline Pilots, and McWilliams has urged more women to join her ranks.

I would strongly urge females interested in aviation to think about pursuing a career as a pilot, and any existing pilots to push themselves to become a captain,” said McWilliams.

I joined the air cadets when I was 13 where I got plenty of flying experience,” said McWilliams, who first became interested in planes after attending an air show at age four.

I didn't imagine a career in commercial aviation as I didn’t know any commercial pilots who I could ask for advice,” added McWilliams, who is based at London’s Gatwick Airport.

"I never even thought it could be an option available to me.

At 19, McWilliams began a CTC Aviation training course, and two years later started working as a first officer with British airline carrier Easyjet. The first officer is often referred to as the co-pilot of an aircraft, and is in effect the second-in-command to the captain.

Julie Westhorp of the British Women Pilots’ Association said she hoped McWiliams’ achievement “inspires more women to consider pursuing a career in aviation.

It clearly demonstrates to other young women that it is possible to succeed as a pilot in commercial aviation." Aviation Early Attempts

When you strive to accomplish something, you'll work at it until you find the right balance... Wow!

Check it out...OMG! I JUST FILMED THIS HORRIBLE ACCIDENT AT THE HOT AIR BALLOON LAUNCH IN CHATSWORTH, IL.

THE WEATHER HAD BEEN CALM FOR 2 HOURS BEFORE THEN OUT OF NOWHERE A GUST OF WIND CAME TAKING THEM AWAY.

I HOPE THE GUY DANGLING FROM HIS FEET IS OK!please share!

~ Wayne R. Germain

Flying Gliders ~ There's A Boy In Every Man | Loungtastic

Now this is some serious flying!

Now this is some serious flying!

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SEATTLE - A band of amateur scientists selected...

by the FBI to look for clues in the world's most infamous skyjacking may have found new evidence in the 45-year-old case.

They're asking for the public's help because of potential leads that could link the hijacker known as D.B. Cooper to the Puget Sound aerospace industry in the early 1970s.

"These are what they call rare earth elements. They're used in very narrow fields, for very specific things," said Tom Kaye, lead researcher for the group that calls itself Citizen Sleuths.

Kaye said the elements were rarely used in 1971, during the time of Cooper's daring leap with a parachute from the passenger jet.

One place they were being used was for Boeing's high-tech supersonic transport plane, which was being developed with government funding in the 1960s and 1970s.

Kaye wonders if Cooper could have been a Boeing employee or a contractor who wore the tie to work.

"The tie went with him into these manufacturing environments, for sure, so he was not one of the people running these (manufacturing machines). He was either an engineer or a manager in one of the plants," Kaye said.

Kaye says Boeing was developing cutting edge monitors, like radar screens, that used some of the elements found on the tie.

Kaye says the public's help is needed, particularly from old-timers with experience in the aerospace industry in the Pacific Northwest.

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The scientists would like to hear theories from the public on what those materials could have been used for. They hope the information can help build a profile of Cooper.

"Someone may be able to look at those particles and say 'Oh my gosh. I know what that means having those particles on the tie,' Kaye said.

Tipsters can reach the group through the "contact" tab on the Citizen Sleuth website.

A Russian SU-72 fighter jet intercepted a US Navy aircraft Monday over the Black Sea.

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A Russian Su-27 fighter jet has intercepted a US Navy EP-3E Aries plane over the Black Sea near Russian airspace and escorted it away in a safe manner, the Russian Defence Ministry said.

Meanwhile, the US Navy announced that a US reconnaissance aircraft was intercepted earlier on Monday by a Russian fighter jet while flying in international airspace over the Black Sea, Xinhua news agency reported.

Here we go...

The US reconnaissance aircraft was spotted approaching Russia’s airspace and was immediately identified by the Su-27 fighter jet “at a safe distance,” Russian news agencies reported, citing a defence ministry statement.

After reporting back to the communications intelligence unit, the fighter jet escorted it away from the Russian airspace “in compliance with all security and safety requirements,” it said.

According to the Russian Defence Ministry, the fighter jet returned to its home base after the US plane altered its flight course away from Russian airspace.

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The US Navy, in a statement, called the interaction as “determined to be unsafe”, saying the Russian SU-27 conducted “a high speed pass directly in front of the mission aircraft, putting at risk the pilots and crew”.

Also on Monday, a Pentagon spokesperson said that the Russian jet came “very, very close” to the US EP-3 aircraft, adding that it made an additional pass after activating its afterburners to create more turbulence.

There was no communication between the two planes and the encounter lasted about 25 minutes, Spokesperson Eric Pahon told reporters at the Pentagon.

The Pentagon said that the EP-3 was conducting routine operations while the encounter happened, not provoking the Russian activity.

VIDEO: Russian fighter jet intercepts US Navy plane over Black Sea...Comment below video

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