Kerry Lynch stepped into the role of editor of the&nbsp;Aviation International News&nbsp;monthly magazine in May 2022 after serving with&nbsp;AIN&nbsp;for eight years. She joined&nbsp;AIN&nbsp;in December 2014 as a senior editor covering Washington and business aviation news. She has also served on Convention News teams, including as editor of&nbsp;HAI Convention News. Lynch previously spent 25 years with Aviation Week. During her time there, she reported for and later steered&nbsp;The Weekly of Business Aviation, oversaw business aviation content on the&nbsp;Aviation Week Intelligence Network, served on the&nbsp;Show News&nbsp;staff, and held roles as the Washington columnist for&nbsp;Business &amp; Commercial Aviation&nbsp;and&nbsp;Overhaul &amp; Maintenance&nbsp;monthly magazines. In 2021 she was honored with the National Business Aviation Association Platinum Wing Award for lifetime achievement in journalism and was the 2004 recipient of the National Air Transportation Association’s Aviation Journalism Excellence Award. She also has been a recipient of an Aerospace Media Award for business aviation (2022) and NBAA Gold Wing Award (2003, 2024). Lynch graduated from The Ohio State University with a bachelor of arts in journalism.

Editor, AIN monthly magazine

Kerry Lynch

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries America’s (MHIA) Dream &amp; Soar program is continuing its efforts to encourage more youth to get involved in aviation and other science, technology, engineering, and math fields. MHIA hosted an event on Friday with 1,400 students and faculty at Hurricane High School in Hurricane, West Virginia, providing an opportunity to hear first hand the story of aviation pioneer Barrington Irving.

 


Irving in 2007 became the youngest person—and the first African American—to fly solo around the world in a single-engine airplane.&nbsp;The Kingston, Jamaica-born pilot, who grew up in Miami, was 23 at the time. His 97-day trek spanned 30,000 miles in a Cessna Corvalis 400 named Inspiration. The trip was designed to inspire youth to follow their dreams. Since then he has remained actively involved in promoting STEM education to students, including working with a “Flying Classroom.”

 


In Hurricane, Irving outlined his story, related tales of his adventures, and stressed to the students that the opportunities in STEM fields are limitless. “Anything is possible,” he told the students, “no matter where you come from, no matter how much money you have. The opportunities are being created right now and it is so important you take advantage of it.”

 


The event also included a message from U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin (D-West Virginia), who has co-chaired the Senate General Aviation Caucus. Manchin stressed to the students that the event is “a big deal,&nbsp;and the subject is critically important.” A pilot himself, he said, ”There is nothing more exhilarating and inspiring,” adding it helped him to overcome his fears.

 


Manchin also stressed STEM fields are the future. “Equipping the next generation of West Virginians with a STEM education is crucial for our state to remain competitive in today’s global marketplace.”

 


The students attending the January 19 event are among 18,000 who have participated in the MHIA Dream &amp; Soar program over the past nine years.&nbsp;Organizers are looking to stage their next event in the spring, and are still considering locations.

MHIA's Dream & Soar Moves To Inspire in West Virginia

The latest Dream & Soar event was presented to 1,400 students and faculty, among the 18,000 who have participated over the past nine years.

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