A 17-year-old Italian girl on Thursday passed her flying test, a year before she becomes eligible to take driving lessons.
Italy has an unusually low age threshold for learning to fly, 16.
''I've wanted to fly ever since I was a little girl,'' said Elettra Venzo, from the northwestern city of Albenga.
''Flying makes me forget everything...you can't explain what it feels like to fly a plane''.
''I feel really happy, as free as a butterfly''