Wings Around the World

At some stage in their lives, most people have fantasized about flying and many have dreamt about travelling the world alone. Few however have been bold enough to combine the two and believe they could fly solo around the earth. No one has ever done it at just 18 years of age. Ever. Lachlan Smart is a high-achieving visionary who will took off from the east coast of Australia in June 2016 in a single engine aircraft and spread his Wings Around the World. Raised and educated on the Sunshine Coast of Queensland, Lachie is preparing for what is planned to be a 10 week journey that will cover almost 24,000 nautical miles including 26 stops in 20 countries on five continents.

The adventure journey of this young was launched during August 2015 and with plenty of vision, guts and love. 10 week journey covered almost 24,000 nautical miles including 26 stops in 20 countries on five continents

Sunshine Coast teenager Lachlan Smart created history 26th August 2016  when he touched down at Maroochydore Airport, becoming the youngest person to ever complete a solo circumnavigation of the world in a single engine aircraft. Smart departed the same airport on the Sunshine Coast on July 4 this year and stopped in 24 locations and 15 countries along the seven-week odyssey that will see him achieve a Guinness World Record.

The previous benchmark was set by American Matt Guthmiller who completed his circumnavigation when he was 19 years, 7 months and 15 days. Smart is 18 years, 7 months and 21 days today.

Smart’s last leg – from Bundaberg to the airport where he has done much of his flight training since the dream of taking on the record breaking flight began two and a half years ago – was punctuated by a crowd of hundreds that included family, friends, official partners, government officials and the adoring public who have supported his journey.

“What a welcome,” Smart said on touching down.

“The support I have received from family, friends, the local Sunshine Coast council and community and people around the world that I have never even met has been incredible from the first moment we spoke about this journey.

“To actually be here, having flown around the world, for over 24,000 nautical miles (45,000km) is just a great relief.

“I can’t wait to spend some time with my family and sleep in my own bed.” As part of the homecoming celebrations the teenager was presented the Keys to the City by Sunshine Coast Mayor Mark Jamieson and a handwritten letter from Bert Hinkler, passed on by a relative of the aviation legend.

Ryan Campbell, the Australian who set the same world record and was the first teenager to achieve the massive feat when he completed Teen World Flight in 2013, was also on hand to congratulate Smart. Campbell had been a massive support network for Smart over the two months of the record bid.

Smart plans to debrief his flight and get some well-earned rest before announcing the next stage of his plans to inspire and help young people achieve more than they thought possible

What is Wings Around the World?

Wings Around the World has been created by Lachlan Smart in order to send a message to the people of Australia, particularly youth, showing that dreams can be achieved no matter how big or how small. Age, size and circumstances are not limiting factors; instead they lie only as challenges worth overcoming for a final outcome.

The idea of Wings Around the World has provided a platform from which an ideology that is important but sometimes forgotten: the ideology of achieving high goals through adversity, can be shared whilst still being able to embrace the dream of flying. Adversities are faced over time, however they do not have to limit the level at which success is achieved.

Wings Around the World will begin in June 2016 and take around 70 days covering almost 45,000km. If successful Wings Around the World pilot Lachlan Smart will become the youngest person in history to circumnavigate the globe solo, in a single engine aircraft. 

The Wings Around the World team

Lachlan has worked hard to assemble a world-class support team to ensure every last detail of the record attempt is managed for risk, with a focus on safety whilst providing partners of Wings Around the World  with every opportunity to leverage their role in the project.

The expanding team included:

Wings Around the World Reach

Historically, mind blowing record-breaking achievements by young Australians have captured the imagination of the media, and then the public, here and around the world.

From Jessica Watson to Ryan Campbell, every day people, both young and not so young, draw inspiration from the courage and dedication shown by those who dare to dream. The reach these high achievers garner is huge.

Traditional media outlets have shown a fascination with following the stories of these young people and there is an expectation that Wings Around the World will attract regular main-stream major metro press around Australia over a 16-month period, as well as internationally, as Lachlan progresses around the world.

The potential social media reach is also massive and Wings Around the World are planning on innovatively using a number of platforms to engage different audiences throughout different stages of the project.

With a powerful combination of traditional and social media, opportunities for Wings Around the World partners and sponsors to connect with target audiences and be associated with an achievement that will inspire a nation are immense.