19-year-old British-Belgian pilot becomes youngest woman to fly round the world

A young British-Belgian pilot became the youngest woman to fly solo around the world on Jan. 20. Zara Rutherford, 19, landed in Kortrijk-Wevelgem Airport in Belgium after flying 51,000 km across 52 nations. She left the same airport last year on Aug. 18, flying in a Shark ultralight, the world’s fastest microlight plane. Rutherford is also the first woman to fly around the world in a microlight. Cheers and applause went up as her plane came to a halt on the tarmac. “It’s just really crazy, I haven’t quite processed it,” Rutherford said after she landed. She held up British and Belgian flags. On her website, Rutherford said she hopes her achievement encourages girls to take up science, technology and aviation. “Do something a bit crazy! If you have the opportunity, go for it, because you only have one life.” (Reuters) This article was provided by The Japan Times Alpha.