The 19-year-old pilot who became the youngest woman to complete the round-the-world solo

A teenage pilot became the youngest woman to fly solo around the world after a five-month challenge.

Zara Rutherford, 19, landed at Kortrijk-Wevelgem International Airport in Belgium two months later than expected due to bad weather.

During the trip he was a month trapped in Nome, Alaska, and 41 days in Russia.

Upon her return to Belgium, she was welcomed by her family, journalists and her supporters.

She was accompanied on her landing by four planes from the Belgian Red Devils aerobatic display team.

After landing, he wrapped himself in the British and Belgian flags, telling reporters: “It’s really crazy, I didn’t process it at all.”

At a press conference, she said she was “very happy” to have achieved the challenge to fly 51,000 kilometers.

“The hardest part was flying over Siberia: it was very cold and if the engine had stopped, I was hours away from being rescued. I’m not sure he would have survived,” she said.

“I really want to tell people about my experiences and encourage people to do something crazy with their lives,” he added.

“If you have the opportunity, do it.”

Pioneer in superlight aircraft

The circumnavigation included more than 60 stops on five continents and started on August 18.

The British-Belgian aviator, whose parents are pilots, said she hoped to inspire other girls to pursue STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) fields.

The trip was made possible by sponsors, including the school he attended in Hampshire, UK, and Shark, the Slovak manufacturer of his Shark UL aircraft.

Her former school was one of the first to congratulate her, tweeting that she was “super proud” of her achievement.

Previously, the youngest woman to fly solo around the world was American Shaesta Waiz, who was 30 years old at the time of her challenge in 2017. The youngest male record holder is 18 years old.

In addition to being the youngest woman to complete the challenge, Rutherford is the first woman to fly around the world in an ultralight aircraft., and the first Belgian to circumnavigate the world alone by air.

Five months around the planet

The trip was expected to last three months, but numerous weather delays they had a domino effect and caused his Russian visa to expire, as the Siberian winter approached.

When he arrived in Nome, only three of the 39 flights had gone as planned, and he had to wait while his passport was airmailed to the Russian consulate in Houston.

But even with his new visa, it was another three weeks before he was able to cross the Bering Strait.

In a video posted on Instagram, he said: “It’s -18°C and my hands are literally frozen. I’ve been here for almost a month.”

“I have been keeping busy, I have been applying to universities and keeping the plane ready to take off,” she added.

“The weather has not been good. Every time (I want to go out), in Russia the weather is very bad or in Nome it is very bad”.

Obstacles on the way

Once in Siberia, where temperatures were as low as -35°C on the ground and -20°C in the air, a mechanic blocked some of his plane’s air intakes to keep the engine warm in the extreme cold.

Despite the adjustments, Rutherford had to stay in Magadan for a week and then in Ayan for three weeks.

And after the weather forced a unscheduled layover at Bandar Udara Rahadi Osman airport, Indonesia, had to sleep in the terminal for two nights because he did not have the necessary documentation to leave the airport.

Despite the setbacks, and after spending Christmas and New Year away from her family, the teenager was happy and smiling in her Instagram messages.

Another challenge he faced was flying through smoke from California wildfires.

Her plane also failed in New Mexico due to a blocked Pitot tube, and a flat tire left her stranded in Singapore at Christmas.

While in Veracruz, Mexico, he experienced an earthquake in his hotel room on the sixth floor.

“Suddenly, the building began to sway. I don’t think I’ve ever run downstairs that fast. I really expected the most dangerous part of this trip to be in the air.”

Her school’s principal, Jane Gandee, said that students and staff had been following Rutherford’s journey “with interest and admiration”.

“As if actual flight and navigation weren’t challenging enough, he had to deal with extreme weather and complicated bureaucracy,” he said.

“We are immensely proud of the good humor and resilience that he showed at all times,” he added.

“Fifty of our students were inspired by Zara to try flying, and I am sure that their example will serve as an inspiration for many more young women around the world,” she concluded.