Robert Besser
17 Jan 2022, 22:46 GMT+10
BRUSSELS, Belgium: Zara Rutherford, a teenager from Belgium, is nearing the completion of a solo round-the-world flight.
Rutherford, age 19, is scheduled to land her single-seater Shark sport aircraft in Kortrijk, Belgium, on January 17, completing a 150 day journey to become the youngest woman to circumnavigate the world solo.
The previous round-the-world record had been set by American Shaesta Waiz, age 30.
Rutherford began flying at age 14. Both of her parents are also pilots.
Her route has taken her from Europe to Greenland and down the east coast of North and South America.
Circling back, she flew through Central America and up the west coast of North America to Alaska.
She then flew across to Russia and south into Asia, passing Korea, Japan and China, continuing south to the Philippines.
She then flew northwards, passing over Vietnam, Cambodia, Myanmar and on to India.
She continued westward, passing through the Middle East, on to the African continent and finally north, entering Europe again over Greece.
Of course, things did not always go as planned. She was forced down in Redding, California when smoke from forest fires made it impossible for her to continue. The light over Russia's Siberia played tricks with her vision, and China would not let her fly over their territory, citing Covid restrictions.
While flying over Siberia, she said the vastness of the region could be frightening.
"I realized if something goes wrong, I'm hours and hours and hours away from rescue, and it was -35 C on the ground. And so I thought, actually, I don't know how long I can survive -35," Rutherford told the Associated Press.
She also was delayed due to bad weather, a flat tire and visa issues, which ultimately added another two months to the three-month project.
While grounded in Greece due to bad weather in the Balkans, she noted,
"When you're fearing for your life, it puts things into perspective a little bit more. I mean, a cloud - a cloud - could kill me."
In wealthy nations, "we grow up in a world with a huge amount of safety nets," she said. "Actually flying over Alaska, Russia or Greenland, that's when you realize - there is no safety net. Like, this is really just me. There's nobody here to help me if anything is wrong."
After five months, she is expected in Belgium, where a large welcome is planned.
Get a daily dose of Paris Guardian news through our daily email, its complimentary and keeps you fully up to date with world and business news as well.
Publish news of your business, community or sports group, personnel appointments, major event and more by submitting a news release to Paris Guardian.
More InformationDHAKA, Bangladesh - The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has filed a case against 13 members of Grameen Telecom's board of directors, ...
WASHINGTON D.C.: The U.S. Commerce Department has said that trade ministers from 14 countries have taken part in the US-led ...
LOUISVILLE, Kentucky: Two horses that succumbed to their injuries at Churchill Downs have become the 11th and 12th fatalities over ...
FREMONT, California: Brain implant company Neuralink announced that it has received approval from US regulators to begin human brain implant ...
JEFFERSONVILLE, Indiana: Randy Lankford, owner of Lankford Funeral Home and Family Center in Jeffersonville, Indiana, has pleaded guilty to more ...
DENVER, COLORADO: A federal judge has ruled that a rural Colorado school district can ban a high school student from ...
BURBANK, California: Over the US Memorial Day weekend, Disney's live-action remake of its 1989 animated classic, "The Little Mermaid," brought ...
NEW YORK CITY, New York: The Nielsen company said that CBS has again claimed the title of most-watched television network ...
NEW YORK, New York - U.S. and global stocks tumbled Wednesday as lawmakers continued to navigate their way through Congress ...
PORTLAND, Maine: Fishermen in the US's only commercial-scale fishing industry for valuable baby eels, called elvers, have recorded a productive ...
LAS VEGAS, Nevada: A bill was introduced in the Nevada Legislature to provide the Oakland Athletics up to $380 million ...
WASHINGTON D.C.: Due to one of the tightest labor markets in decades, teenagers, who have been vital for filling summer ...