Australian teenage aviator claims world record

Lachlan Smart stopped in 24 locations and 15 countries on his way to taking the Guinness World Record from American Matt Guthmiller, who completed his circumnavigation when he was 19 years, 7 months and 15 days.

Guthmiller had sent Smart messages of encouragment during the flight but he has yet to hear from the American since touching down at 8am.

Smart travelled more than 24,000 nautical miles (44,000km) on his epic journey which included more than a week's break visiting family and sightseeing in London.

The Nambour resident hopes his achievement inspires other teenagers to think big and shoot for impossible dreams and he has even started a business, Young Achievers International, to help people to reach their goals.

"The whole reason I did this trip was to hopefully motivate other people to achieve great things as well," he said.

Smart, who is studying for a business and aviation qualification, says he has no plans to be commercial pilot.

"The repetitiveness of flying the same routes and plan would wear off on me and lose the magic of aviation," he said.

"I'd like to get into executive flying and flying VIPS around in small jets."

Indonesia's air traffic control 'would've run me into a mountain'

The Sunshine Coast teenager told AAP he ignored regional traffic controllers in Indonesia and chose his own route during his successful attempt to become the youngest person to fly solo around the world in a single-engine aircraft.

He said poor radio reception and a "blase'" attitude was also an issue passing through the South East Asian country.

"There were no major failures of equipment ... but I did have trouble with air traffic control coming out of Indonesia," he said.

"They would have run me into a mountain if I had gone with their instructions.

"I stuck to my training pretty well and when I saw what they were going to try and send me through I thought, 'They'll be scraping me off the side of a mountain if I go that way'."