Teenage aviator Zara Rutherford has become the youngest woman to fly around the world solo
The 19-year-old, who has dual British-Belgian nationality, landed at Kortrijk-Wevelgem Airport in western Belgium on Thursday, completing an epic 41-country journey spanning over 52,000 kilometers , and broke two Guinness World Records in the process.
When Rutherford departed on August 18, 2021 in a bespoke Shark ultralight aircraft, she believed her aerial escapade would take about three months.But she has been plagued by setbacks, including month-long delays in both Alaska and Russia due to"visa and weather issues," pushing her schedule back eight weeks.
"I was hoping to complete it by Christmas but I guess that's not happening anymore," Rutherford told reporters at Gimpo International Airport iWhile she's flown to an array of destinations, such as Singapore, Egypt and Greece, along with Russia and South Korea, Rutherford has been unable to explore any of them on land due to Covid-19 restrictions.
One of her main aims for this challenge, aside from breaking Waiz's record, was to ensure greater visibility for women in aviation.
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