Teen Pilot Sets Record For Flying Around the World

(Photo by Claudia Schmalz from Pexels)

A teenaged pilot set out on a journey back in August with one goal, to be the youngest female to successfully fly around the globe and her journey is nearly complete.

According to an article by AP News, 19- year-old Zara Rutherford departed from a Belgium airport last summer and is set land back in Belgium this week. Once she completes her journey, she will hold the record as the youngest female to fly around the world. The record was previously set by 30-year-old American pilot, Shaesta Waiz.

The article described how Rutherford’s journey through the skies was not an easy feat. It became somewhat treacherous when Rutherford, the teen pilot, encountered a dangerous cloud. In order to maneuver around the cloud, she faced flying through North Korea’s airspace. Reportedly, this would have been a risky move since North Korea is said to test missiles at any moment. Luckily, the cloud cleared giving her plenty of room to fly outside of the restricted airspace.

This was not the only challenge the teen pilot had face while flying around the world. The AP article also reports that Rutherford had to fly above the California wildfires, reroute her trip to avoid a typhoon in the Philippines, and use extreme precaution in Siberia when it was difficult to distinguish between mountains and clouds.

Read more about this teen’s adventure: AP NEWS

Source: AP NEWS