Mack Rutherford, 17, a dual Belgian-British national, took off on a small plane from the Bulgarian capital Sofia on 23 March to tour the world. Having traveled to 52 countries on five continents, Rutherford again landed in Sofia after his journey and became the owner of the Guinness World Record by winning the titles of “the youngest person to circumnavigate the globe alone” and “the youngest person to circumnavigate the globe in a microlight plane”.
THE FIRST WORD WAS “I SUCCESS”
Breaking two world records, Rutherford crossed the Equatorial line twice during his flight. The first word of the young pilot when he landed at the airport was “I did it”. Rutherford, who was welcomed by his mother, father and sister on the runway and said that he was very happy with his experience, stated that he was also sad that the flight was over. “No matter how old you are, just follow your dreams,” Rutherford said.
The trip, which was originally planned to take 3 months, has been extended due to weather conditions such as monsoon rains, sandstorms and extreme heat.
WORLD’S YOUTHEST PILOT AT 15 YEARS OLD
Born on June 21, 2005, Rutherford turned 17 during his journey. Born and raised in Belgium, the young pilot said, “Since I flew hundreds of hours with my father, who is a professional pilot, I knew for sure that I wanted to fly since I was 11 years old. At the age of 15 I got my pilot’s license, which made me the youngest pilot in the world at the time.”
THE YOUNGEST FEMALE TO TOUR THE WORLD ALONE WITH HIS Sister
Rutherford’s 19-year-old sister, pilot Zara, broke the solo flight record with a trip of more than 52,000 kilometers in January.
(UAV)