18-Year-Old Becomes Youngest Pilot to Fly Around the World Solo in 76-Day Voyage

Despite the arduous journey, Mason Andrews stayed in college.

An 18-year-old pilot has become the youngest person to circumnavigate the globe in an airplane.

Mason Andrews' plane touched down Monday at Monroe Regional Airport in Louisiana, where he was welcomed by family and friends. 

"That was awesome — I've been waiting for that for a long time now,” Andrews told KTVE.

Andrews said his 76-day journey was not always easy.

He flew through a sandstorm in Saudi Arabia, and was even stranded in the Philippines due to typhoons at one point. 

"I'd say the most challenging [part] was just dealing with weather and trying to decode all the weather information all around the world and figure out when it's safe to fly and then deal with it once you're in the air," Andrews said. 

The 18-year-old didn’t let his attempted feat stop him from attending classes at Louisiana Tech University.

"I've been taking online classes,” he said. "I was in the hotel room a lot so I studied then." 

His efforts didn’t stop there.

The teen's trip also raised $30,000 for MedCamps of Louisiana, which runs free summer camps for children with disabilities.

Andrews told CBS News he’ll be attempting another world record for aviation soon, but did not specify which one. 

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