( CNN ) -- `` 9 hours down , 150 to go . '' It seems like any run-of-the-mill Facebook status update . But what its poster , Matt Guthmiller , is attempting is anything but routine . The 19-year-old is on a solo flight that he hopes will take him around the world . If he completes it , he will become the youngest American ever to do so . The `` 9 hours down '' refers to the time it took the MIT freshman to fly Saturday from El Cajon , California , to Aberdeen , South Dakota , the first leg of his odyssey . The `` 150 to go '' marks the remaining hours he plans to fly over the next six weeks on a plan that will take the South Dakota native through Athens , Greece ; Cairo ; Bangkok , Thailand ; Honolulu , Hawaii , and more . `` Setting a record is exciting , but records are made to be broken , '' Guthmiller said on a website dedicated to the voyage . `` My real goal is to inspire other young people to attempt things of a similar magnitude . That 's what I hope to accomplish with this flight . '' If successful , Guthmiller will replace Jack Wiegand of Fresno , California , as the youngest American pilot to circumnavigate the globe alone . In June 2013 , Wiegand accomplished the feat at 21 , according to Guinness World Records . On Wednesday , Guthmiller plans to fly from Teterboro , New Jersey , just outside of New York City to St. John 's in Newfoundland , Canada according to the flight itinerary he posted . It will be his final stop in North America until a planned touchdown in Hawaii more than a month later . If all goes as planned , Guthmiller will land his 1981 prop powered Beechcraft Bonanza back in Aberdeen on July 12 -- just 42 days after beginning the trip . According to Guthmiller , the single-engine plane , which normally seats six , has a range of 2,800 nautical miles , can reach a speed of 175 knots , and has a maximum cruising altitude of 11,500 feet .
19-year-old Matt Guthmiller is on a solo flight around the world . If successful he will be the youngest American ever to do so . Flight plan will take 159 hours over 42 days .