Youngest pilot flies solo around the world

Teenage pilot makes history - 3rd October 2022

Teenage pilot Mack Rutherford recently landed in Sofia, Bulgaria after crossing 52 countries. At 17, Rutherford became the youngest pilot to fly solo around the world, after a five-month-long journey.

The Belgian-British teenager experienced sandstorms in Sudan, extreme temperatures in Dubai, and airport issues in India. Flying over Europe, Africa, Asia and North America, he broke up his journey by pausing in different countries on the way. He passed over well-known sites and national parks, which all helped Mack focus during his lengthy 11-hour flights every day.

The most hair-raising episode was when the teenager needed to spend a night on an abandoned Pacific island due to poor weather conditions. "If anything had gone wrong," he told reporters, "I would be on my own". As the island had been uninhabited for 10 years, he had no choice but to sleep next to the disused airport runway.

The trip was carried out using a "Shark", which is a tiny, ultra-light plane capable of reaching 300 km/h.

On landing, Mack received two Guinness world records: one for the youngest solo flight and one for youngest solo flight in a lightweight plane of this kind.

The young pilot shares his passion with other members of his family, and even his ancestors. His older sister Zara obtained the record for the youngest woman to fly solo around the world just a few months ago. Mack's great-great-grandmother became one of the first women in South Africa to fly a plane.

Although Mack completed the flight alone, he received valuable advice from his parents and also Zara, who'd frequently offer practical guidance regarding the route.

Mack hopes his achievement will inspire others and urged people to "follow your dreams, no matter how old you are."