Merimbula's Ryan Campbell has successfully set off on his bid to become the youngest person to fly solo around the world.
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Farewelled by hundreds of well-wishers, the 19-year-old flew out of Merimbula Airport on Saturday afternoon.
His journey, dubbed "Teen World Flight", is expected to take about two and a half months and will see Ryan land at 28 destinations, in 14 countries, in five continents, and travel 24,500 nautical miles.
He will enjoy a family dinner in Wollongong tonight before flying out on the next leg of his odyssey at 7am on Sunday.
Ryan will be the youngest person so far to attempt the solo flight. Earlier this month Jack Weigand, a 20-year-old from California, made a bid to become the youngest pilot to circumnavigate the globe solo but Ryan is hoping to trump his efforts.
The trip, which will cost around $250,000, has been supported with sponsorship from both large corporations and local companies, and also assistance from passionate private aviator Dick Smith.