Who is the youngest solo pilot in the world?

His solo trip flying around the world kicked off in Bulgaria because his sponsor, the web hosting company ICDSoft, is headquartered in Sofia and loaned him the plane. Like his sister, Rutherford flew a Shark, one of the fastest ultralight aircraft in the world with a cruising speed reaching 186 mph. Normally a two-seater, it was modified for his long journey by replacing the second seat with an extra fuel tank.

Initially planned to take up to three months, the trip lasted longer because of several unexpected obstacles along his way, including monsoon rains, sandstorms and extreme heat. But most of the delays were caused by waits to obtain permits and other documents required for further flight or having to alter the scheduled route if they were rejected. The flight took him through Africa and the Gulf region to India, China, South Korea and Japan. He crossed the northern Pacific and landed after 10 uninterrupted hours in the air on a volcanic island near the Bering Strait. From there, he headed to Alaska and down the West Coast of the United States to Mexico. Rutherford then headed north again along the U.S. East Coast to Canada, and across the Atlantic Ocean to Europe. On Wednesday, a huge crowd of people had arrived at the airport to welcome Rutherford and to celebrate his achievements. Among them were the three members of his immediate family. His father, Sam Rutherford, said he was extremely happy and proud of his children’s achievements. He told reporters that such an event is especially encouraging for children to follow their dreams and parents to support them in their endeavors. His sister, Zara Rutherford, said she kept in close touch with her younger brother during his journey.

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«While he was flying, I constantly tried to keep in touch and help him. Our parents called him every day, and I joined in those conversations. I gave him advice on the route, on the flight, so that I could be useful to him,» she said. Mack Rutherford said he will now focus on his education. «The next thing I’m going to do is to go back to school and catch up as much as I can,» he said.

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First published on August 24, 2022 / 12:51 PM

17-year-old becomes youngest pilot to fly solo around world

The aircraft of Mack Rutherford approaches Sofia West Airport in Bulgaria, on Aug. 24, 2022. Mack Rutherford, 17, landed in Sofia on Wednesday after he broke the current world record for the youngest pilot to fly solo around the world.

His achievement was duly recognized by the Guinness World Records, which handed him two certificates immediately after landing: for the youngest (male) person to circumnavigate the world by aircraft solo, and the youngest (male) person to circumnavigate the world in a microlight plane solo.

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Rutherford took off from Sofia on March 23 this year and landed again here after flying through 52 countries and logging up around 250 hours of flying time. (Photo by Marian Draganov/Xinhua)

SOFIA, Aug. 24 (Xinhua) — Mack Rutherford, 17, landed here on Wednesday after he broke the current world record for the youngest pilot to fly solo around the world.

Rutherford took off from Sofia on March 23 this year and landed again here after flying through 52 countries and logging up around 250 hours of flying time.

Bulgaria was the starting and ending point of his journey due to the sponsorship of Bulgarian company ICDSoft.

His five-month trip and the fact that he departed from and arrived in Bulgaria were «absolutely amazing,» Rutherford told reporters after landing. «I am really happy.

This was a very exciting, very interesting trip.»

There were several «hairy» moments during his journey, he said, but he never gave up

Rutherford, a Belgian-British aviator, was born on June 21, 2005, so he turned 17 during the trip. He has lived all his life in Belgium.

«I have known for certain I wanted to fly since I was 11, having flown hundreds of hours with my dad, who is a professional pilot,» he said.

«When I was 15 years and three months old, I received my microlight pilot’s license making me at the time the youngest pilot in the world. Since then, I have also flown two trans-Atlantic crossings.» ■

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Mack Rutherford waves after landing at Sofia West Airport in Bulgaria, on Aug. 24, 2022. Mack Rutherford, 17, landed in Sofia on Wednesday after he broke the current world record for the youngest pilot to fly solo around the world.

Rutherford took off from Sofia on March 23 this year and landed again here after flying through 52 countries and logging up around 250 hours of flying time. (Photo by Marian Draganov/Xinhua)