Belgian-British teenager is the daughter to two pilots. Her parents were thrilled when she said that she wanted to fly a small two-seat plane around all of the world.
“I thought it would be impossible, told her that it was complicated and expensive. “Then, I thought… would it not be better to begin when I’m younger rather than when I get older? Because then you get caught up with life, careers, and jobs. And I didn’t know if this was the right time for me. I told my father, “This is an idea that I have. What do you think?” He immediately said, “Yes, we will find sponsorship. We’ll make this work.”
It worked. Rutherford is currently on her solo trip around the globe. If she finishes it, she will become the youngest woman to complete the feat. Shaesta Waiz holds the record for solo flying around the globe when she was just 30 years old.
Waiz, who initially connected with Rutherford through a LinkedIn message said that she actively encouraged the young pilots to remove the record.
“I can’t be the youngest woman, I remember thinking,” Waiz said. Waiz said that she’s not so young. Zara is so smart and ambitious, she’s here. She reached out to me to tell me that she was going for this. She asked me the first question: “Is it okay if you break your record?” I replied, “Absolutely Zara.” Recorded are meant to be broken.
Rutherford began her journey in Belgium, her country of origin. On August 11, Rutherford took off from Brussels’ airport and made stops in Canada, Iceland, Greenland, Greenland, and the United Kingdom. She is currently in New York City, where she has two rest days, and her next stop is North Carolina, where she will visit the Wright Brothers National Memorial in Kitty Hawk.
The teen pilot flew for five hours almost every day. Her longest solo flight was four and a quarter hours before she attempted the world record. Rutherford stated that she does not eat or drink before she board her plane, so she can use the toilet while in the air.
She laughed and said, “I don’t say that, but I was flying from (Goose Bay Canada) to Montreal when I realized that I needed to stop for the toilet.”
Rutherford admitted that long hours on a plane can be lonely. To pass the time, she listens to podcasts. Emma Chamberlain, a 20-year old YouTuber, is her favorite podcast.
She said that radio can be lost almost instantly, especially over Greenland. “If there is only one person on a podcast, it will feel like someone is there with you.”
Rutherford stated that Kulusuk in Greenland was her favorite place to stop because of its scenic landscape.
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She said, “I saw my first whale, so that was incredible, and it’s such an amazing sight.” You’re familiar with the wallpapers that come along with computers of beautiful scenery. It looks exactly like this if you get out your phone and take any photo.
Rutherford must cross two points on the globe to make Guinness World Records consider her trip “around the world”. These spots were located just below the Columbian equator and above the Indonesian equator on her route. To make it more interesting, she added almost 5,000 miles to her trip.