Hayden McDonald’s flight for change

Last year, 22-year-old Hayden McDonald set out on a mission: to circumnavigate Australia solo in his Jabiru J120 light aircraft. Taking off from his home in Esperance on 8 September, Hayden embarked on a three-month odyssey, visiting every mainland state plus the Northern Territory and presenting in more than 20 towns.

When he arrived back in Esperance on 11 December, three months, 90 flying hours and 8,000 nautical miles later, he officially accomplished what nobody before had done: becoming the first autistic pilot to complete an unaccompanied flight of this kind. The cause? To educate people on neurodiversity, build understanding, and create momentum for change in an aviation sector that is often hostile to people on the spectrum.

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