Youngest pilot to fly solo around the world is serious teenager goals
So, what did you do on the weekend? For plenty of teenagers, it was likely filled with plenty of partying and regrettable memories. Nothing wrong with that, by the way.
But for 18-year-old Australian pilot Lachlan Smart, it was a slightly more productive one. He set a record on the weekend with a 45,000 kilometre (27,961 mile) trip.
Smart became the youngest person to circumnavigate around the world in a single engine plane, touching down at Queensland's Maroochydore Airport on Saturday morning after 54 days travelling, according to the Brisbane Times.
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At 18 years, 7 months and 21 days, Smart beats the record of previous holder American Matt Guthmiller, who was 19 years old when he completed his circumnavigation in 2014.
"I've got a lot of adrenaline running through my system and very excited to have touched down where it all began eight weeks ago and finally concluded this trip," Smart told ABC News.
Some of the biggest challenges Smart faced included overseas air traffic controllers and dangerous weather conditions, particularly in the Pacific Ocean where there were heavy storms.
A hurricane between California and Hawaii delayed his flight for 24 hours, which ended up being a 13-and-half hour flight when he managed to conquer it, according to an interview with Today.
Smart made stops in 24 locations and 15 countries along the way, making it one amazingly exhausting trip that he hopes will inspire people to go out and chase their dreams.
"Don't be afraid to dream big and when you have a goal, go for it," he told ABC News. Smart is now just looking forward to relaxing at home, while the rest of us try to remember what we did on the weekend.
