South Africa’s got another reason to look up with pride, thanks to a young lady who has just smashed one of the highest world records!
Torrance, California (06 November 2025) – Twenty-year-old South African pilot Shannon Russell has just flown higher than any woman ever has in her class of aircraft, reaching 32,059 feet in a Sling TSi.
It’s a huge moment for a young lady whose record-breaking flight comes with a deeply personal story. One that started long before she ever left the ground.
Shannon grew up watching her inspiration take to the skies fearlessly. Her dad, Sean Russell, was Sling Aircraft South Africa’s Chief Test Pilot. When he passed away in an aircraft accident, Shannon was just 18. Six months later, instead of giving up on flying, she packed her bags and moved to the US, where her dreams in aviation took off.
It was a move Sean would be proud of.
Recently, on her world record-setting flight, she carried some of her dad’s ashes with her, higher than any other female pilot in her class has ever flown before. Goosebumps stuff.
What makes the win even more incredible? She’s doing it for the girls.
“I hope young girls see this and realise that the sky isn’t the limit — it’s just the beginning.”
What Shannon has just achieved is daring, but she did it with all the confidence. It took serious prep to pull off.
Flying an unpressurised aircraft into the flight levels comes with risks. Oxygen specialists and doctors had to be consulted ahead of the flight, along with Rotax engine specialists. High altitude oxygen masks and health monitoring systems were used for risk mitigation, and a second pilot, Jean d’Assonville, was onboard to help monitor everything.
Shannon set the world record just a day after she earned her Sport Pilot Instructor certificate, which makes her one of the few qualified instructors ready to teach the next generation of MOSAIC aircraft, a new category of advanced light-sport aeroplanes that goes beyond modern pilot training.
Adding to that achievement, she has a list of professional licences and countless hours of training under her wing, too. She’s also repped Sling at global airshows and serves as a Young Woman in Aviation Ambassador.
“Her technical foundation runs deep — Shannon trained under Rotax-approved technicians at Sling Aircraft South Africa, where she gained hands-on experience in aircraft maintenance, testing, and performance data analysis. She also assisted in building aircraft like Linda Sollars’ Sling High Wing N915HW, which famously flew from Johannesburg to Oshkosh.”
She’s done all of this before even turning 21.
What we admire most is her determination after experiencing one of the greatest losses. Instead of being afraid of the fate that took her dad, Shannon has fully embraced the dreams he helped her grow. What a way to honour that, bringing him all the way up to 32,059 feet with her.
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