On Wednesday, a Belgian-British teenager went to the sky to become the youngest woman to fly around the world solo. The 19-year-old Zara Rutherford departed from am airstrip in Kortrijk, wester Belgium. Despite the gusty and overcast conditions, Rutherford’s goal is to break the record set by American aviator Shaesta Waiz. Wais set the world benchmark in 2017 at the age of 30.
Rutherford is using her dast and light Shark sport aircraft over five continents and 52 countries total. The entire adventure will likely take 2-3 months. Rutherford said “I am very nervous, I think. I am also in a bit of disbelief. I think my next step is to check the weather again.” when talking to The Associated Press before takeoff.
The 19-year-old comes from a family of pilots and she has been traveling in small planes since she was 6. She then started parachuting at the age of 11 and began flying herself at the age of 14. Before her ariel trek, Rutherford logged roughly 130 hours of solo flights. Her father explained “This is her dream. It’s what she wants to do.”
For more information about the source click HERE