Bobby Bradley’s inspirational TEDx Talk

Back in 2011, when he was only 9 years old, Bobby Bradley became the youngest person to fly solo in an aircraft.

Driven by a desire to accomplish something that most people found incomprehensible Bobby’s flight began at dawn dawn in Tome, near Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA and ended safely 26 minutes later with him claiming his place in the record books.

As a fourth generation balloonist, Bobby found himself immersed in the sport. His parents, Troy and Tami Bradley, are both licensed balloonists, well known in the world of lighter-than-air fliers. Father, Troy, lays claim to nearly 60 world records in ballooning.

Bobby and his father created a plan to build a balloon just for him. This special balloon, The Heavenly Dream, weighs less than 150 pounds and gave Bobby the opportunity to realize his dream of flying solo.

Before making his flight, Bobby already has 30 hours of flight experience with his mother and father, and had been practicing with the balloon tethered to the ground or a truck.

He was joined in his brief flight by three other balloons as family, friends and a crowd of 50 supporters cheered him on from the ground.

Bobby and his family had the courage to believe that anyone, regardless of age, can accomplish their goals with enough guidance, training, and support.

In is TEDxABQ talk, Bobby tells us that he is an ordinary kid with the extraordinary talent of bringing his dream to fruition.