Teenager can now take to the skies, becoming one of the youngest solo pilots in Australia

FIFTEEN-year-old Lysterfield boy Ajay Assi is a year off learning to drive, but is already cruising 1000 feet above the ground, after reaching an amazing milestone in aviation.

FIFTEEN-year-old Ajay Assi is a year off learning to drive, but is already cruising 1000 feet above the ground, after reaching an amazing milestone in aviation.

The Lysterfield 15-year-old became the equal youngest person in Australia to fly solo, after celebrating his birthday on June 10.

He has been taking flying lessons since he was 13 and on his birthday had several circuits with his instructor at Moorabbin Airport before being given the all-clear to take the reins by himself.

LEGENDARY QANTAS PILOT TURNS 100

WHY TOM HANKS ISN’T A FAN OF FLYING

It was then he reached the milestone only a handful of other young pilots have achieved.

“It felt pretty good,” he said. “It was pretty special. It’s just a sense of freedom.”

The Civil Aviation Safety Authority revised its minimum-age policy in 2014, and since then only a small number of teens have flown solo on their 15th birthday.

Ajay said his next step was to go for his recreational pilot’s licence, which you can qualify for at 16.

The Knox School Year Nine student said his dream was to be a commercial pilot, and he was already getting mentoring from a Virgin Australia captain.

His interest in flying started at age nine playing flight simulators, he said.

“I thought ‘this is pretty cool, I’d love to do this as a job’.”

He said the best bits of flying were the views and the hardest part was the theory.

His mother Melissa Assi said it was nerve-racking but exciting watching him fly.

“There were a lot of nervous but happy tears,” she said.

“He’s sacrificed a lot of time to get here. It’s a pretty extraordinary milestone.”