The State : Flier, 9, Looks for a Record

Nine-year-old pilot Tony Aliengena, known as Buzz “because he’s always flying around,” took off from Orange County’s John Wayne Airport on a 10-day, cross-country solo flight he hopes will land him in the record books. Aliengena, of San Juan Capistrano, earlier this month made a record one-mile solo journey in an ultra-light plane. A busload of classmates from St. Margaret’s School showed up for Tony’s takeoff in his father’s twin-engine Cessna. The round-trip flight will end at the same airport on April 9. Tony was accompanied by his flight instructor, Ed Fernett, and Don Taylor, an observer from the National Aeronautics Assn. Taylor will verify that Tony mans the controls throughout the flight. “. . . Even if we lose an engine, I’m gonna do it,” Tony said.