World record today.

[red750]

Brisbane teenager Byron Waller landed his Sling TSi at Brisbane today, completing to an end his historic around the world flight as the youngest accompanied person to do so. He celebrated his 16th birthday as he crossed the International Date Line 2 days ago. The flight took 67 days. 

 

Back to school tomorrow, and now to get his learner drivers permit.

 

[Blueadventures]

Was he 'accompanied'?

[rgmwa]

Yes. Various instructors flew with him.

[BrendAn]

How is it a record when he never flew alone

 

[red750]

He is the youngest at 15 for most of the journey.Turned 16 as he crossed the International Date Line on the final leg from USA to Australia.

[kgwilson]

The record is for the youngest "Accompanied" person to fly around the world. 67 days most of which would have been waiting for good weather. Flying the magenta line & the odd radio call, different languages, cultures, aviation rules and airports would have some interesting parts but most of it would have been really boring I reckon. 

[facthunter]

It's more boring at Higher Altitudes.  Nev

[BrendAn]

1 hour ago, kgwilson said:

The record is for the youngest "Accompanied" person to fly around the world. 67 days most of which would have been waiting for good weather. Flying the magenta line & the odd radio call, different languages, cultures, aviation rules and airports would have some interesting parts but most of it would have been really boring I reckon. 

A 15 yr old could get an around the world airline ticket and do the same thing

[facthunter]

He would be a BIT more involved and a lot more time in the air.. He couldn't fly over the weather and would be VFR and "au Fait" with the fuel all the time. There would be a lot of Planning and some language and procedure issues. No doubt he had help with that as even  "regular" Airlines do.  Nev

[BrendAn]

4 minutes ago, facthunter said:

He would be a BIT more involved and a lot more time in the air.. He couldn't fly over the weather and would be VFR and "au Fait" with the fuel all the time. There would be a lot of Planning and some language and procedure issues. No doubt he had help with that as even  "regular" Airlines do.  Nev

True . But to me it would be a record if he did it on his own.  

Flying the whole trip with an instructor is like getting a trophy at kids sport because you were there.

[facthunter]

  It's a record in it's own right but not as meritorious as if he did it alone. Nev

[BrendAn]

2 hours ago, facthunter said:

  It's a record in it's own right but not as meritorious as if he did it alone. Nev

Actually after sitting on an airbus for 14 hrs on Monday I do have respect for people that can spend days in an LSA with no room to move. No toilet.

[rgmwa]

As a record I don’t think it’s very noteworthy but if it helped to raise awareness of his medical condition and funds for its research and treatment, then good on him. 

[red750]

When did you last fly around the world in an LSA, accompanied or otherwise?

[BrendAn]

5 minutes ago, red750 said:

When did you last fly around the world in an LSA, accompanied or otherwise?

In my xair a circuit is a long trip😁

[Thruster88]

In another display of Rotax 916 turbocharged awesomeness a stock Cub Crafters carbon cub UL has set a new unofficial altitude record for cub type aircraft, 37,609 feet.

 

CubCrafters

WWW.FACEBOOK.COM

---

PRESS RELEASE – Carbon Cub UL Soars to Record Altitude of 37,609 ft Factory-stock Carbon Cub reaches new heights … Literally! San Luis Obispo, CA — October 30, 2025 — In an incredible demonstration...

 

[facthunter]

Not often  will that have much relevance to how WE fly. OAT would be Below minus 60 C. I don't know how the Oil or coolant would cope.  Nev

[T510]

56 minutes ago, facthunter said:

Not often  will that have much relevance to how WE fly. OAT would be Below minus 60 C. I don't know how the Oil or coolant would cope.  Nev

It's obviously a publicity stunt

[Student Pilot]

That book that does the world records has a lot to answer for. There are great feats and records but it has now turned into a farce. The most hats worn at one time has as much relevance as first to fly a Cessna on a Tuesday wearing a purple flight suit. 

[Thruster88]

The Rotax 916 turbo still producing 24 inches of manifold pressure at 36,000. "Stunts" like this sell aircraft. Amazing engine.

 

 

[facthunter]

Just a stunt to make people buy a high Priced option. Has NO bearing on  Normal USE. Rotax would not consider it a normal Operational Envelope. What pressure was the coolant system at and how was the Oil Prevented from freezing as well as the PILOT. Any Motor Boosted sufficiently would maintain Power. The OAT would be Minus 56 c and the pressure 2.7 Psi. Nev

[BrendAn]

5 hours ago, facthunter said:

Just a stunt to make people buy a high Priced option. Has NO bearing on  Normal USE. Rotax would not consider it a normal Operational Envelope. What pressure was the coolant system at and how was the Oil Prevented from freezing as well as the PILOT. Any Motor Boosted sufficiently would maintain Power. The OAT would be Minus 56 c and the pressure 2.7 Psi. Nev

Nothing unusual to sell products.

Remember when Bathurst was race on Sunday sell on Monday. 

People weren't expected to go racing in their new falcon or Kingswood  so the race had no relevance to them.

 

[facthunter]

This is UP there with them. People like to be associated with Winners. The cars back then bore a connection with their cars where as the Current V8 super cars do Not. The Pilot going there37,000 ft is exposed to a very real risk of Death. Is THAT Motor standard? I'd think not. Listened to a Bloke who'd flown an RV to the South Pole and the problems he had with Oil  freezing at similar OAT's but the air Pressure was a normal Figure. Nev.

[BurnieM]

https://cubcrafters.com/c/2025/10/press-release-cubcrafters-carbon-cub-ul-soars-to-record-altitude-of-37609-ft/

 

San Luis Obispo, CA — October 30, 2025 — In an incredible demonstration of the capability of modern backcountry aircraft, a CubCrafters Carbon Cub UL climbed to a verified altitude of 37,609 feet (11,460 meters / 7.12 miles) above sea level over the California coast on October 28, 2025 — setting an unofficial new world altitude record for Cub-type aircraft.

 

This historic climb surpasses the previous record of 30,203 ft (9,206 m) set by pioneering aviator Caro Bayley in a PA-18 Piper Super Cub over Miami, FL in February of 1951. Bayley’s record was recognized internationally by the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FAI) in the C-1b light-aircraft class, earning her the prestigious Blériot Medal, and has stood the test of time as the high-altitude benchmark for light STOL aircraft for almost 75 years.

 

MISSION TO REACH NEW HEIGHTS

 

The Carbon Cub UL represents the latest evolution in CubCrafters’ mission to build the highest performing backcountry aircraft. This record-setting climb showcased cutting-edge engineering of the Carbon Cub line focused on exceptional power-to-weight ratios, modern powerplants, and incredible efficiency, all while keeping the aircraft in a typical bush plane configuration.

 

“This achievement exemplified everything we stand for — innovation, craftsmanship, and the courage to push limits,” said Brad Damm, VP of CubCrafters. “The original vision of Jim Richmond, the founder of CubCrafters, was to take the Super Cub, considered the workhorse of backcountry aviation, and make it better. I think Jim would be the first to congratulate our team on what was achieved on this flight”  

 

Although not an official FAI record attempt, the Rotax 916 iS powered Carbon Cub UL was also easily able to surpassed the current official FAI Ultralight category world record altitude of 35,062’ which has been held by a Rutan Long EZ since 1996. 

 

Piloted by Jon Kotwicki, the Carbon Cub UL began its climb at 9:55 a.m. out of the San Luis Obispo Airport (KSBP) under ideal weather conditions and with approvals from Los Angeles ARTCC. The aircraft reached its peak altitude of 37,609 ft after approximately 62 minutes of climbing, with an outside air temperature of -51 °F / -46 °C.

 

This project was a team effort. The turbocharged Rotax 916 iS engine was developed by Rotax in collaboration with CubCrafters and Rotax served as a technical advisor on the project. At extreme altitudes, Kotwicki relied on supplemental oxygen supplied by project partner Mountain High Equipment & Supply and wore a parachute as a precaution due to the unknowns. 

 

Despite thin air and extreme cold, the aircraft maintained remarkable stability and control throughout the flight. “The Cub flew really easy,” Kotwicki said. “We were outside the normal realm of operating parameters, so we were proceeding with caution. It was pretty dang cool to be in a tube-and-fabric bush plane that high, and it was surreal hearing airline pilots over ATC wondering what a Cub was doing up there.”

 

he team’s goal was to reach 30,200 ft to break the record for a Cub-style airplane, but with the perfect conditions, Kotwicki continued to 37,609 ft. “We didn’t know how high we could go, and we were honestly surprised we reached that altitude with 29” Alaska Bushwheels installed and all the camera gear onboard. The UL is truly an amazing backcountry aircraft. We could have gone directly from over 37,000’ to landing and taking off from any unimproved dirt strip anywhere in California. That’s what makes this machine so versatile,” Kotwicki explained.

 

“This is my 17th aviation record, and it was one of the most fun to go after,” said Paulo Iscold, Professor in Cal Poly’s Aerospace Engineering program and Project Manager for the record attempt. “The entire team was great to work with. From CubCrafters and Rotax to Aerocrafted and Mountain High, we couldn’t have asked for better partners or a better aircraft for this project.” He continues that: “In test flying we plan for everything to go wrong. When everything goes right — that’s the flight you wanted, that’s the flight we got.”

 

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

 

CubCrafters is grateful to every partner who helped prove that even a bush plane can reach the stratosphere. We want to especially thank the following people and organizations for their collaboration and professionalism that made this record-breaking flight possible:

• Flight Test Lead: Paulo Iscold (Professor, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo) — project management and oversight.

• Test Pilot: Jon Kotwicki (Fly8MA) — for his expert airmanship.

• Engine Partner: Rotax — for technical guidance and flight test analysis.

• Aerocrafted: Tres Clements — for providing hangar facilities, tools, and ground support.

• Oxygen Systems: Patrick McLaughlin at Mountain High Equipment & Supply — custom-built oxygen regulator and system.

• CubCrafters: Pat Horgan and Brad Damm — for continued vision and support.
• Air Traffic Control: Los Angeles ARTCC Special and Military Operations coordination team and air traffic controllers — for safe flight monitoring and for providing the airspace for the record setting flight.

Edited November 2 by BurnieM

[BrendAn]

 They explain

How they did it.