Zara Rutherford, teenage aviator, and all-around wonder woman just broke two Guinness World Records by becoming the youngest female pilot to fly solo across the world.
She managed to complete her dream despite COVID-19 restrictions, a few delays because of weather, and other sudden issues. Here’s her journey…
Zara Rutherford Beat Two Guinness World Records
19-year-old Zara Rutherford is a teenage aviator, who has just become the youngest woman to fly around the world solo. With dual British-Belgian nationality, Rutherford landed at Kortrijk-Wevelgem Airport in western Belgium on Thursday. With this, she completed a 41-country journey that spanned over 32,300 miles (52,000 kilometers).
Rutherford also shattered two Guinness World Records. She holds the title for the first woman, ever, to go around the world in a microlight aircraft. Plus, she also broke the earlier solo female record, held by 30-year-old American Shaesta Waiz, who circumnavigated the globe, solo, in 2017.
Finally, she also becomes the first Belgian to circumnavigate the globe, unaccompanied.
Faced A Ton Of Challenges
Of course, Rutherford’s journey and eventual achievements have not come easy. She has faced many delays, like when she had to make an unscheduled landing in Redding, California because the Seattle wildfires were causing poor visibility. She also faced month-long delays in Alaska and Russia each due to visa and weather issues, causing an 8-week schedule setback.
Rutherford flew in and out of many countries like South Korea, Egypt, Greece, and more but was not able to explore many of them, via land, due to Covid-19 restrictions. China, on the other hand, did not give her permission to land.
Zara Rutherford Got Her License In 2020
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