Australian teen becomes the youngest pilot to fly solo around the world - as he slams Indonesian air control for directing him to fly straight into a MOUNTAIN

• Lachlan Smart, 18, is the youngest person to fly solo around the world
• He landed his Cirrus SR22 aircraft at Sunshine Coast Airport on Saturday
• He says he nearly had to be scraped off a mountain after bad instructions
• The journey lasted  54 days and covered 45,000-kilometres 
• The teenage aviator stopped in 24 locations in 15 countries

An 18-year-old aviator says he nearly had to be scraped off the side of an Indonesian mountain before becoming the youngest person to fly solo around the world.

Lachlan Smart landed his single-engine aircraft, a Cirrus SR22, at Sunshine Coast Airport at Marcoola on Saturday, after 54 days and 45,000-kilometres of travel. 

But his record-breaking journey could have ended in disaster after he says he received misguided instructions from Indonesian traffic controllers.

'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.'

Scroll down for video 

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

'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'.' 

Smart, who is 18 years, seven months and 21 days old, 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. 

Smart stopped in 24 locations in 15 countries during his seven-week journey and says visiting relatives in England, flying over the white cliffs of Dover and partying on a Cannes beach in France were particular highlights.  

Crowds of family, friends and well-wishers were there to greet him as he touched 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,' he told the Brisbane Times.

'It's excellent to be back on familiar territory with familiar faces.'

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.'

For now the teenager says he has no plans for another flying trip and is taking some time to relax instead.