A 17-year-old pilot has become the youngest person to fly solo around the world in a small aircraft after he landed in Bulgaria.
Seventeen year old Anglo-Belgian pilot, Mack Rutherford, speaks with the media after landing at the Buzet airfield in Pont-A-Celles, Belgium, Tuesday, Aug. 23, 2022. Rutherford landed in Belgium before flying on to Slovakia and Sofia, Bulgaria, for the final leg of his Guinness World Record attempt to be the youngest person to the fly around the world solo in a small plane.
Born into a family of aviators, Rutherford qualified for his pilot's license in 2020, which at the time, made him the youngest pilot in the world at the age of 15. Initially planned to take up to three months, the trip lasted longer because of several unexpected obstacles along his way, including monsoon rains, sandstorms and extreme heat.But most of the delays were caused by waits to obtain permits and other documents required for further flight or having to alter the scheduled route if they were rejected.
On Wednesday, a huge crowd of people had arrived at the airport to welcome Rutherford and to celebrate his achievements. Among them were the three members of his immediate family.
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