BELGIUM/BULGARIA: Mack Rutherford became the youngest person to fly an aircraft around the globe. After travelling for five months and visiting 52 different countries, Mack Rutherford, 17 finally landed in Sofia, Bulgaria.
Mack Rutherford, a Belgian-born child of British parents, battled sandstorms in Sudan and spent the night on a barren Pacific Island on the journey.
The youngest lady to fly solo around the globe is Zara Rutherford, his older sister.
Mack Rutherford breaks his sister’s record
After completing his feat, Mack Rutherford inspired others and asked them to “follow your dreams, no matter how old you are.”
He crossed two seas, travelling through Europe, Asia, Africa, and the United States, and his plane landed in Scotland’s Wick before flying from London’s Biggin Hill Airport earlier this week.
On March 23, Mack Rutherford, originally from an aviator family, left the capital of Bulgaria. During the long voyage, he encountered high temperatures in Dubai and unanticipated airport closures in India.
The teenage pilot added that after experiencing a “hairy moment” when flying through rain and low clouds, he had slept next to a runway on an uninhabited island in the Pacific Ocean.
Mack Rutherford initially indicated that he had aspired to be a pilot ever since he was three years old, and in September 2020, at the age of 15, it came into existence.
His mother, Beatrice, is a private pilot, while his father, Sam Rutherford, is a licensed ferry pilot.
His sister Zara had previously concluded her own journey in January this year, and when she went to Sofia to meet Mack when he returned to his starting place, she said that she had “offered him advice about the path.”
Zara, in her statement, said she was “constantly” trying to keep in contact with her brother while he was on his journey. She added, “Our parents called him every day, and I joined in those conversations.”
Zara continued, “I gave him advice on the route and flight so that I could be useful to him.”
Also Read: SpaceX Dragon Cargo Returns from the ISS Carrying Tonnes of Scientific Equipment
