Halfway into his journey around the world, James Anthony Tan has seen everything from the Grand Palace in Thailand to the New York City skyline.
A Malaysia native, the 21-year-old pilot is on a mission to be the youngest person to fly solo around the world in a single-engine aircraft.
But on Monday, he made a pit stop at Seamans Airport in Benton Twp. - unique, because it's the only place in the world that makes the Silver Eagle he is flying.
"I wanted to stop here so I could finally see where it was made," said Mr. Tan, who purchased the aircraft from a man in California earlier this year. "It's what has gotten me here. That, plus Steve's (Barnick) training."
A longtime flight instructor at O&N Aircraft Modifications - located at the airport just north of Factoryville - Mr. Barnick said Silver Eagles are made by adding significant upgrades to standard Cessna Pressurized 210 airframes.
Among the improvements is the installation of a Rolls-Royce gas turbine engine, which increases the horsepower from about 280 to 450.
About 107 have been sold worldwide, and anyone who buys a Silver Eagle is required to take a three-day training session on how to manage the aircraft's power and learn the aircraft, Mr. Barnick said.
"They strip everything out, including the seats and the radios, and build it from scratch," Mr. Barnick said. "We are proud of him (Mr. Tan). He learned the ins and outs of the aircraft extremely quickly."
With a target date of May 13 to return to Malaysia and complete the full circle, Mr. Tan said he plans to leave the United States in the next couple of days to finish the final 20,000 kilometers.
He said it will take four days to cross the Atlantic Ocean, with stops in Newfoundland, Greenland, Iceland and the United Kingdom.
If he lands in Malaysia before his 22nd birthday, June 3, Mr. Tan will solidify his spot in Guinness World Records, the World Record Academy and the Malaysia Book of Records. He began his journey on March 27.
"This expedition isn't solely about aviation, it's to inspire people to dream," Mr. Tan said. "Dreams give you direction, a purpose."
Contact the writer: miorfino@timesshamrock.com, @miorfinoTT on Twitter