At 16, Byron Waller took out Recreational Pilot of the Year at the 2026 Australian Aviation Awards, the national industry awards presented in partnership with UNSW Aviation. The award recognises the round the world flight and the Patient to Pilot mission behind it.
Byron was named a 2026 Australian Geographic Adventurer of the Year, recognised in the Young Adventurer category for the round-the-world flight. Watch the ceremony moment below.
From national magazine honours to letters of support from prime ministers and ministers, this is the proof that the mission resonated far beyond the cockpit
More letters and citations are available on request. For verified source links, click the entries that show "Read source". For media enquiries, contact ops@byronwaller.com