A BUDDING pilot from Pendle is on cloud nine after becoming one of the youngest people in Lancashire to gain his licence to fly solo.

Hassan Imtiaz passed his Private Pilot Licence (PPL) test on Tuesday – less than a month after turning 18.

Now the Nelson and Colne College A-level student is hoping to embark on a career as a commercial pilot.

Hassan, of Sycamore Rise, Brierfield, faced a nervous wait to pass the test after bad weather caused some of his flights to be delayed.

The test, which candidates as young as 16 can only take when they have accumulated 45 hours of flying lessons, comprised a number of manoeuvres and landings to test Hassan’s ability.

He said: “I was pretty nervous because a few flights had been postponed due to the weather but I was also confident.

“I’ve been mad about planes and flying since I was young and hopefully I can make a career out of this. I’d love to fly for a commercial airline but it’s a very expensive and competitive field to get into.”

Hassan’s test saw him set off from Blackpool Airport, where he has attended flying school for two-and-a-half years.

His route took him over Ingleton and the Yorkshire Dales towards Harrogate before he returned back to Blackpool via Heysham and Fleetwood.

Hassan can now fly single-engine aircraft privately with up to six passengers on his own.

His dad Zaheer, who runs a garage in Bolton, said: “I’m so proud. Not many 18-year-olds have achieved what Hassan has done.

“He’s very single-minded and focused. All he’s ever wanted to do since he was a toddler is learn to fly planes and now he’s done it.”

Brierfield councillor Naeem Ashraf, a friend of the family, said: “This a fantastic, positive achievement for someone from Brierfield. We get a lot of negative press but this just shows that we have a lot of good happening and the younger generation should be applauded for excelling in whatever their chosen field is.”