In August, the 19-year-old British-Belgian departed from Kortrijk-Wevelgem Airport in western Belgium on her 51,000-km journey, which is to span 5 continents and 52 international locations, together with the US, Russia and Colombia.
“It has been difficult,” Rutherford instructed reporters at Gimpo Worldwide Airport after arriving from Vladivostok in her bespoke Shark ultralight aircraft, the world’s quickest microlight.
“I used to be caught in Alaska due to visa and climate points for a month and I used to be caught in Russia for a month due to visa and climate points,” she stated. “I hoped to finish it by Christmas however I assume that’s not taking place anymore, but it surely’s an journey.”
Rutherford, who’s to stay at in lodge earlier than her deliberate departure for Taiwan on Monday, stated she expects to finish her journey by mid-January.
With enhanced Covid-related journey restrictions, Rutherford stated she has typically not been allowed to see native locations in some international locations.
“I’m seeing these locations from the air and that’s the most unimaginable factor,” she stated. “Though I’m not at all times allowed to go and go to, stroll round and take a look at museums and eating places, I can at all times see them from the air and it’s fairly unimaginable.”
Except for getting into the report e-book, {the teenager} has expressed hope that her voyage will encourage women and girls to review and work in STEM (science, expertise, engineering and arithmetic), and spark ladies’ curiosity in aviation.
Rutherford is searching for the title held by from Shaesta Wais, who turned the youngest girl to fly solo around the world at age 30 in 2017. The youngest male report holder, Mason Andrews, was 18 years outdated when he made the journey in 2018.
The daughter of two pilots, Rutherford will begin college subsequent 12 months, with the dream of changing into an astronaut.
Photograph of Rutherford by NICOLAS MAETERLINCK/BELGA/AFP by way of Getty Pictures
