| Nationalities: | United States. |
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Matt Guthmiller has become the youngest person to fly solo around the world after touching down at Gillespie Field in El Cajon late Monday night.
The final leg of his flight was more than 15 hours solo across the Pacific Ocean from Kona, Hawaii to San Diego.
The new record-setting, 19-year-old solo pilot was all smiles as he was greeted by hugs from his mother after he taxied the plane. Exhausted and a bit overwhelmed by the media attention, he had few words.
"I guess it's … good to be back," he said.
The second-year MIT student flew solo for more than 29,000 miles in a plane specially-outfitted by El Cajon's High Performance Aircraft.
Jul 15, 2014
"We are extremely proud of Matt Guthmiller,” said Mike Borden, the president of High Performance Aircraft and one of the co-sponsors of Guthmiller's flight. "This is just one thing he's going to do in his lifetime."
Guthmiller left Gillespie Field on May 31 behind the controls of his 1981 Beechcraft A36 Bonanza. His goal was to return to Gillespie Field before July 26 to set the record.
The student made 25 stops in 14 different countries across five continents
The previous record was set by Australian Ryan Campbell who was 19 years, seven months and 25 days old when he completed the circumnavigation last year
Guthmiller takes the record because he is ten days younger