17-year-old pilot sets record for solo flight around
the world
(Virginia Mayo /
Associated Press)
VESELIN
TOSHKOV
Associated Press
Aug. 24, 2022 11:05
AM PT
SOFIA,
Bulgaria —
A 17-year-old pilot became the
youngest person to fly solo around the world in a small aircraft after he
landed on Wednesday in Bulgaria, where his journey kicked off five months ago.
Mack Rutherford, a
Belgian-British dual national, landed on an airstrip west of Bulgaria’s
capital, Sofia, to complete his task and to claim two Guinness World Records.
Along with becoming the youngest person to fly around the world by himself,
Rutherford is the youngest person to circumnavigate the globe in a microlight
plane.
Rutherford said he hoped his
achievement would inspire young people to pursue their dreams.
“Just follow your dreams, no
matter how old you are — work hard and move forward to achieve your goals,” he
said after he stepped out of the aircraft.
His sister, Zara, who finished
her own trip global flight in January at age 19, previously held the ultralight
record. Mack Rutherford took the age record from Travis Ludlow of Britain, who
was 18 when he made a solo flight around the world last year.
The journey, which began March
23, took Rutherford through 52 countries over
five continents. He turned 17 during the trip. To set a mark recognized by the
Guinness World Records, he crossed the equator twice.
Born into a family of aviators,
Rutherford qualified for his pilot’s license in 2020, which at the time, made
him the youngest pilot in the world at the age of 15.
His solo trip flying around the
world kicked off in Bulgaria because his sponsor, the web hosting company
ICDSoft, is headquartered in Sofia and lent him the plane.
Like his sister, Rutherford
flew a Shark, one of the fastest ultralight aircraft in the world with a
cruising speed reaching 186 mph. Normally a two-seater, it was modified for his
long journey by replacing the second seat with an extra fuel tank.
Initially planned to take up to
three months, the trip lasted longer because of several unexpected obstacles
along his way, including monsoon rains, sandstorms and extreme heat.
But most of the delays were
caused by waits to obtain permits and other documents required for further
flight or having to alter the scheduled route if they were rejected.
The flight took him through
Africa and the Gulf region to India, China, South Korea and Japan. He crossed
the northern Pacific and landed after 10 uninterrupted hours in the air on a
volcanic island near the Bering Strait.
From there, he headed to Alaska
and down the West Coast of the United States to Mexico. Rutherford then headed
north again along the U.S. East Coast to Canada, and across the Atlantic Ocean
to Europe.
On Wednesday, a huge crowd of
people had arrived at the airport to welcome Rutherford and to celebrate his
achievements. Among them were the three members of his immediate family.
His father, Sam Rutherford,
said he was extremely happy and proud of his children’s achievements. He told
reporters that such an event is especially encouraging for children to follow
their dreams and parents to support them in their endeavors.
Zara Rutherford said she kept
in close touch with her younger brother during his journey.
“While he was flying, I
constantly tried to keep in touch and help him. Our parents called him every
day, and I joined in those conversations. I gave him advice on the route, on
the flight, so that I could be useful to him,” she said.
Mack Rutherford said he will
now focus on his education.
“The next
thing I’m going to do is to go back to school and catch up as much as I can,”
he said.
No comments:
Post a Comment