Youngest pilot flies solo around the world

Teenage pilot makes history - 3rd October 2022

A young 17 year old has landed in Bulgaria, after flying around the globe in five months. Mack Rutherford has now become the youngest pilot ever to successfully complete the trip alone.

The Belgian-British pilot flew over 52 countries across Europe, Africa, Asia and North America and stopped in various places along the way. He faced storms, extreme heat and airport problems. His daily 11-hour flights were made interesting by seeing spectacular places from the air, such as historical sites.

Mack completed his journey in an extremely light aircraft which could travel as fast as 300 km/h.

The most terrifying event for the young pilot was when he needed to land on a Pacific island due to bad weather. No one had lived there for 10 years, and he had to spend the night on the old airfield.

For his incredible achievement, Mack was given two Guinness world records: one for being the youngest ever around-the-world pilot, and the other for flying in a light plane.

Mack isn't the only record-breaker in the Rutherford house. All of his family, including past generations, love flying. Earlier this year, Mack's older sister Zara set similar records when she completed the same trip. However, Zara was keen to give Mack regular route advice on his adventure.

Mack hopes that his success may encourage others. The teenager said happily, "follow your dreams, no matter how old you are."