Arab Press

بالشعب و للشعب
Sunday, Jul 06, 2025

British-Belgian pilot, 17, becomes youngest to fly around the world solo

British-Belgian pilot, 17, becomes youngest to fly around the world solo

A teenage pilot has become the youngest person to fly solo around the world in a small aircraft.

Mack Rutherford, 17, landed at Sofia in Bulgaria, after a five-month journey across 52 countries.

Along the way, Mack, who was born to British parents but has grown up in Belgium, encountered sandstorms in Sudan and spent the night on an uninhabited Pacific island.

His sister Zara is the youngest woman to fly solo around the world.

She completed her own journey in January this year and disclosed that she had "given him advice on the route" as she travelled to Sofia to greet Mack as he returned to the starting point of his trip.

The previous record holder for flying solo was British pilot Travis Ludlow, who was 18 years and 150 days old when he completed his journey last year.


After completing the feat, Mack encouraged others to "follow your dreams, no matter how old you are".

"Work hard and move forward to achieve your goals", he added.

The trip took him through Europe, Asia, Africa, the US, across two oceans, with his plane touching down in the UK at Wick in Scotland and departing from London's Biggin Hill Airport earlier this week.

Mack, who comes from a family of aviators, set off from the Bulgarian capital on 23 March, with the arduous journey seeing the extreme heat in Dubai and unexpected airport closures in India.

The young aviator also said he had slept in a shed beside a runway on an uninhabited island in the Pacific Ocean after a "hairy moment" passing through through rain and low cloud.

In an earlier interview with CNN while he was part of the way through his journey, Mack described some of the beautiful places he was able to fly past, from wildlife in national parks in Kenya to the New York City skyline.

He added always having "something I can look at" helped him maintain focus in the low-altitude flights - which took up to 11 hours at a time.

Asked what his plans for the future were, Mack said: "I'm going to keep flying. I'm thinking of something like the air force, but I'm nowhere 100% sure on anything.

"After I finish this I've just got to focus on school and try and catch up as much as I can."

As a result of his efforts, he has broken two Guinness World Records - becoming the youngest person to fly around the world solo, as well as the youngest to circumnavigate the globe in a microlight plane.

The teenager flew a Shark - a high-performance ultralight aircraft which can hit a cruising speed of around 186mph (300km/h).


His sister Zara said that she was "constantly" trying to keep in touch and assist her brother while he was in the air.

"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."
Mack has previously said he wanted to be a pilot since the age of three and he achieved the feat in

September 2020 when he qualified for his licence aged 15.

His father Sam Rutherford is a professional ferry pilot, while his mother Beatrice is a private pilot.

And Mack's website explains that aviation goes back five generations in his family - describing his great-great-grandmother as being "amongst the first South African women to learn to fly".

Mack holds both British and Belgium nationality and has lived most of his life in Belgium.

He is currently being educated at the private Sherborne School in Dorset, whose website has been following his progress around the world. It also carries Mack's personal statement, in which he says "you don't need to be an adult to do incredible things".


Zara Rutherford, 19, landed at Kortrijk-Wevelgem in Belgium to complete her round-the-world challenge


Newsletter

Related Articles

Arab Press
0:00
0:00
Close
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Russia Formally Recognizes Taliban Government in Afghanistan
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Mediators Edge Closer to Israel-Hamas Ceasefire Agreement
Germany Seeks Taliban Deal to Deport Afghan Migrants
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
Robots Compete in Football Tournament in China Amid Injuries
China Unveils Miniature Insect-Like Surveillance Drone
Marc Marquez Claims Victory at Dutch Grand Prix Amidst Family Misfortune
Iran Executes Alleged Israeli Spies and Arrests Hundreds Amid Post-War Crackdown
Trump Asserts Readiness for Further Strikes on Iran Amid Nuclear Tensions
Qatar Airways Clears Backlog of Passengers Following Missile Threats
Iran's Parliament Votes to Suspend Cooperation with Nuclear Watchdog
Trump Announces Upcoming US-Iran Meeting Amid Controversial Airstrikes
Trump Moves to Reshape Middle East Following Israel-Iran Conflict
NATO Leaders Endorse Plan for Increased Defence Spending
U.S. Crude Oil Prices Drop Below $65 Amid Market Volatility
“You Have 12 Hours to Flee”: Israeli Threat Campaign Targets Surviving Iranian Officials
Oman Set to Introduce Personal Income Tax, First in Gulf
Germany and Italy Under Pressure to Repatriate $245bn of Gold from US Vaults
Trump Praises Iran’s ‘Very Weak’ Response After U.S. Strikes and Presses Israel to Pursue Peace
WATCH: Israeli forces show the aftermath of a massive airstrike at Iran's Isfahan nuclear site
We have new information and breaking details to share about what is shaping up to be a historic air campaign tonight
Six Massive Bombs Dropped on Fordow; Trump: 'A Historic Moment for the U.S., Israel, and the World'
Fordow: Deeply Buried Iranian Enrichment Site in U.S.–Israel Crosshairs
United States Conducts Precision Strikes on Iran’s Nuclear Sites
US strikes Iran nuclear sites, Trump says
Pakistan to nominate Trump for Nobel Peace Prize.
Israel Confirms Assassination of Quds Force Commander in Tehran
16 Billion Login Credentials Leaked in Unprecedented Cybersecurity Breach
Senate hearing on who was 'really running' Biden White House kicks off
G7 Leaders Fail to Reach Consensus on Key Global Issues
Mass exodus in Tehran as millions try to flee following Trump’s evacuation order
Iranian Military Officers Reportedly Seek Contact with Reza Pahlavi, Signal Intent to Defect
China's Iranian Oil Imports Face Disruption Amid Escalating Middle East Tensions
Trump Demands Iran's Unconditional Surrender Amid Escalating Conflict
Israeli Airstrike Targets Iranian State TV in Central Tehran
President Trump is leaving the G7 summit early and has ordered the National Security Council to the Situation Room
Netanyahu Signals Potential Regime Change in Iran
Analysts Warn Iran May Resort to Unconventional Warfare
Iranian Regime Faces Existential Threat Amid Conflict
Energy Infrastructure Becomes War Zone in Middle East
Iran Conducts Ballistic Missile Launches Amid Heightened Tensions with Israel
Iran Signals Openness to Nuclear Negotiations Amid Ongoing Regional Tensions
Shock Within Iran’s Leadership: Khamenei’s Failed Plan to Launch 1,000 Missiles Against Israel
UK Deploys Jets to Middle East Amid Rising Tensions
Exiled Iranian Prince Reza Pahlavi Urges Overthrow of Khamenei Regime
Wreck of $17 Billion San José Galleon Identified Off Colombia After 300 Years
Iran Launches Extensive Missile Attack on Israel Following Israeli Strikes on Nuclear Sites
×