A 15-year-old has touched down in Bendigo to finish his quest to become the youngest person to fly solo around Australia.
The expedition took Solomon Cameron across 15,000 kilometres, to the four furthest corners of the continent.
"It sure is a good feeling to be back in Bendigo," he said.
Solomon touched down just after noon on Saturday after nearly seven weeks in the air or waiting for weather to clear.
The trip had changed him, giving him a new sense of perspective and broadening his perspective about communities across Australia, he said.
"Just seeing some of the places I'd never seen before, and finding out how different they are to what I expected was a highlight. Especially up north in Queensland," Solomon said.
"I learnt quite a bit about being independent as well."
Flying clubs and communities across Australia had thrown in their support, welcoming Solomon and finding places for him to stay, his father Andrew said.
"It's just been unreal," he said.
They have also helped raise money for Angel Flight, a charity helping people in remote areas access specialist medical treatment, Andrew said.
It was still unclear how much would be raised, Andrew said, but people could still donate.
Another record attempt was not on Solomon's horizon, but Andrew would love to go, too, if another plan is hatched.
It took Solomon two years of intense planning to make the trip, Andrew said.
"I'm proud more of that workload that he put in. This (moment) is the icing," he said.
"There's been a lot of barriers that could have stopped him doing this. He had to do so much, doing so much of the training, understanding those safety requirements, meeting people.
"He also had to be up to a certain standard at school so he could take what was effectively a term of school off."
To donate, click here and follow the links.
Tom O'Callaghan
I grew up in Bendigo and I want to tell your stories.
I grew up in Bendigo and I want to tell your stories.
