At 17, he became the youngest person to fly solo across 52 countries and 5 continents. Meet Belgian teen pilot who battled challenging weather and difficult landings, making history. ‘Just follow your dreams’

Some people witness history; others create it. For Belgian-British boy Mack Rutherford, it was the latter. At just 17 years old, in 2022, he became the youngest person to fly solo around the world in a small aircraft. So, it isn’t a surprise that the then-teen is the recipient of 2 Guinness World Records. On March 23, 2022, Rutherford departed from Sofia, Bulgaria, and landed in the same place, his hometown, 6 months later on August 24. The braveheart, who navigated through multiple challenges while flying alone, hoped that his extraordinary feat would inspire young people to pursue their dreams.

All about youngest pilot

According to a report by Guinness World Records, Rutherford’s record was previously held by his sister Zara. Rutherford, born into a family of aviators, qualified for his pilot’s license in 2020, making him the youngest pilot in the world at 15.

Rutherford could only travel in daylight and completed the circumnavigation aboard a small, single-engine aircraft. Due to the limited size of the aircraft, he was forced to occasionally land whenever the weather got severe. He adjusted to last-minute route changes, displaying great expertise in facing poor weather and unexpected landings.

The youngest pilot navigated many obstacles

Conditions got even more difficult after Rutherford reached Casco Cove, an island of the Aleutian archipelago. He moved through strong winds and rain after approximately 10 hours of flying non-stop over open water. Although tailwinds were forecasted, unexpectedly strong headwinds slowed him down, and he had no other option but to land in Attu. The journey, however, took him through 52 countries and 5 continents.

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According to Rutherford, he even got to meet several people across the world wherever he landed. He navigated the flight through Africa and the Gulf region to India, China, South Korea and Japan. After that, he crossed the northern Pacific before landing after 10 uninterrupted hours in the air on a volcanic island near the Bering Strait.

From the Bering Strait, Rutherford headed to Alaska and down the West Coast of the United States to Mexico. Finally, he flew north again along the U.S. East Coast to Canada, and across the Atlantic Ocean to Europe. Rutherford's feat shows that age need not be a barrier to pursuing ambitious goals.