Plainfield father, son attempt record-breaking flight

A boy typically makes his rite of passage into manhood when he gets his driver's license or celebrates his bar mitzvah. But for Haris Suleman, coming of age means embarking on a journey around the world in an airplane.

"I feel like becoming a pilot has changed me a lot," said Suleman, 17, of Plainfield. "It's really hard to get to a point where you can fly around the world."

The teenager and his father, Babar Suleman, left the Greenwood Municipal Airport this morning on a 30-day trip around the world. They will make stops in 21 cities, including London, Lahore and Honolulu. The Sulemans aim to break the record for fastest circumnavigation around the world in a private airplane and, for Haris , the youngest pilot in command to do so.

The trip came with its fair share of obstacles for the Sulemans. Between Haris' final instrument rating exam and the weather, the pair faced a handful of delays. Even this morning's flight, originally schedule at 7 a.m., was held up when they realized they forgot something and had to run back home. That did not deter them, however, and they finally took off about 9 a.m.

The Sulemans will be updating people on their progress on a blog, entitled "Around The World in 30 Days." The blog, http://aroundtheworld4edu.weebly.com, includes a link to a tracking website that shows their position on a world map.

Haris Suleman, who recently earned his private airplane license and instrument rating, will be the head pilot on the flight. His father said he will take the lead in emergencies.

"I have a lot of faith in our training program, and I think (Haris) will be fine," Babar Suleman said. "The only thing he lacks is the experience and that's what I bring."

Haris started to take an interest in flying when he was 8 years old after his father completed his private aircraft license. For years, the boy accompanied his father on his flights, learning little by little about the craft.

One day in 2011 a family friend surprised him with a flying lesson, Haris said.

"He told me to sit in the left seat. That was odd because usually the pilot in command sits in the left seat," Haris recalled.

But it began the training for one of the biggest challenges of his life, the teen said.

Haris dedicated hundreds of hours to his training, juggling flying with his science-heavy course load at Plainfield High School and SAT preparation. He said flying has taught him to be more prepared and analytical.

"Becoming a pilot is one of the hardest things someone can do, to be honest," he said. "It's taught me to be more proactive: I need all my paperwork, I need all my thoughts in process before I leave. It's helped me a lot for the better."

The trip also gives the Sulemans an opportunity to raise money for Seeds of Learning, a nonprofit that supports early education initiatives in Pakistan. They raised more than $500,000 of their $1 million goal — even before take off — for the nonprofit and its umbrella organization Citizens Foundation, which builds schools in rural Pakistan.

Haris , whose family immigrated from Pakistan in the mid-1980s, has volunteered at the organization for the last seven years.

"Everywhere we've gone, we've gotten there because of the education they (his family) got in Pakistan," he said. "My dad was able to go to grad school here."

For Haris , the trip will be a learning experience all its own, his father said.

"I think by the time we get done with this trip, he will be a completly different person," Babar Suleman said. "Flying is a lot of planning...it teaches a lot of responsibility. I think from that standpoint it'll be good for him to go in and learn how to be more responsible."

Call Star reporter Steph Solis at (317) 444-6494. Follower her on Twitter: @stephmsolis