Young Queensland teen Lachlan Smart has embarked on a fund-raising drive to cover the cost of his attempt to be the youngest person to fly solo around the world.
The youngster, who will be just 18-years-old at the end of his trip, plans to leave in June in a Cirrus SR22 to wrest the world record back from American Matt Guthmiller, who in turn took it from Australian Ryan Campbell.
Smart has estimated the price tag for his 10-week, 20-country journey at $400,000, and is trying to enlist community support for the venture he has called Wings Around the World (WATW)
“With our events we are really trying to involve the community and hopefully we can get a bit of support," he said.
"I need to do what I can to help put that message out there that young people can achieve whatever they set their minds to, and Wings Around the World is the perfect way to help me show them that.”
Lachlan's father Will Smart says that planned fundraising events are aimed at broadening the reach of WATW beyond the aviation community.
“All of our upcoming events have been planned to reach a broader community, and that provides an opportunity for us to meet new people, and likewise for them to meet Lachlan and see firsthand the effort that is going into this trip,” he said.
“The team have been working hard to create events that appeal to the public for fundraising, while at the same time promoting youth achievement, especially within our own community.
“Without a doubt, fundraising has been difficult to attain and we still need the finance to charter and fit out the plane for the trip, send fuel to remote destinations, purchase map and navigation aids and safety equipment for the journey. That’s a big-ticket item, making sure safety is the first priority.
“At the end of the day, we are reaching crunch time and are looking for tangible financial support from local businesses and community. We ask for understanding in this regard as we support what this young man is trying to achieve.”
The WATW team will target this weekend's Archer Falls Fly-in/Drive-in Near Kilcoy in QLD to raise awareness and close the funding gap.
"The airfield [Archer Falls] is perfect for everyone to get up and close with all things aviation, look inside planes and classic cars as well as enjoying the food available and market atmosphere," Lachlan said. "In the evening there will be dinner, a bar and a chat.
“Following that we have our Young Achievers fundraising dinner, a hangar party for aviation enthusiasts and then a farewell dinner before my departure."
WATW already has the support of Ryan Campbell, Avia Aircraft, international flight clearance experts White Rose Aviation, QBE Insurance, Nauru Airlines and Woodstock Wine Estate.
For more information on Lachlan Smart and his ambitions, go to the Wings Around the World website.