Zara Rutherford facts for kids

Zara Rutherford was born on July 5, 2002. She is a pilot from Belgium and Britain. When she was 19 years old, Zara became the youngest female pilot to fly alone around the world. She was also the first person to fly a very light aircraft, called a microlight, all the way around the globe. Her amazing journey lasted five months. It started in Kortrijk, Belgium, on August 18, 2021, and finished on January 20, 2022.

Early Life and Family Flights

Zara Rutherford was born in Belgium. Flying runs in her family! Her dad, Sam Rutherford, used to be a helicopter pilot for the British Army. Her mom, Beatrice De Smet, is a pilot too.

Zara grew up around planes. Her dad even organized big flying trips with old planes across Africa. As a young girl, Zara often flew with her parents. Sometimes, she even got to fly part of the way herself. She started learning to fly at age 14 and got her pilot's license in 2020.

Zara and her brother, Mack, are both record-holding pilots. Their family has been flying for five generations! Their grandfathers were pilots. Their great-great-grandmother, Margaret Jean Thomas, was one of the first women in South Africa to learn to fly.

Flying Solo Around the World

A Shark.Aero Shark UL plane similar to the one flown by Zara Rutherford.

On July 26, 2021, Zara announced her plan to fly solo around the world. She wanted to be the youngest female pilot to do it. The record was held by Shaesta Waiz, who was 30 when she flew around the world. Zara also aimed to be the first woman to fly a microlight aircraft around the world. Plus, she wanted to be the first Belgian to fly solo around the world in a single-engine plane.

Zara also wanted to show girls that they can work in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). She hoped to inspire more girls to get into flying too. Many companies and groups supported her. These included ICDSoft, Richard Branson's Virgin Group, and SafeSky. She also worked with charities like Girls Who Code and Dreams Soar. These groups help women and girls get into STEM fields.

Zara started her solo flight from Kortrijk-Wevelgem Airport in Belgium. This was on August 18, 2021. She flew a special plane called a Shark UL. It was lent to her by the company that made it. From Belgium, she flew to Scotland and then to Reykjavík, Iceland.

Challenges on the Journey

After Iceland, Zara flew to Greenland and Canada. Then she flew along the East Coast of the United States. She made stops in places like The Bahamas and Colombia. She also flew through Panama, Costa Rica, and Mexico. Then she went to the West Coast of the United States and Alaska.

When she reached Nome, Alaska, on September 30, 2021, she had to wait. Her Russian visa needed to be renewed. After her passport came back, the weather turned bad. She had to wait three more weeks before she could fly across the Bering Strait. She used this time to fix her plane.

On November 1, 2021, she finally reached Anadyr, Russia. This was the halfway point of her trip! From there, she flew to Magadan. On November 9, she stopped in Ayan. This town had only 800 people, and no one spoke English. There was no Wi-Fi either! She got stuck there because of a winter storm. She finally reached Khabarovsk on November 30 and Vladivostok on December 2.

Flying Through Asia

Zara left Russia on December 11, 2021. She planned to stop in China. But China had strict rules about COVID-19. So, she had to fly over the Sea of Japan to South Korea instead. During this six-hour flight, she had trouble talking to air traffic controllers in Seoul. A pilot from KLM helped her by sending her messages and finding the right radio channels. She landed in Gimpo that same day.

On December 13, she flew to Muan. The next day, she flew to Taipei, Taiwan. On December 16, Zara landed in Clark, in the Philippines. She wanted to make another stop, but a big storm called Typhoon Rai was coming. So, she had to fly to Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia, instead.

From Kota Kinabalu, she stopped in Indonesia and Singapore. On December 27, she flew to Banda Aceh. She flew too close to a thunderstorm and saw lightning! After Banda Aceh, she stopped in Colombo, Sri Lanka, and Coimbatore, India. She spent New Year's in Mumbai.

Final Stretch Home

Zara started 2022 with stops in the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia. In Saudi Arabia, she was greeted by a prince who was also a former pilot and astronaut. After a stop in Egypt, she arrived in Heraklion on the Greek island of Crete.

Zara then made stops in Bulgaria, Slovakia, and the Czech Republic. She landed in Germany on January 19. Finally, on January 20, 2022, she arrived back in Kortrijk, Belgium. She landed at the same airport where she started her amazing journey!

After the Solo Flight

On March 23, 2022, Zara's younger brother, Mack Rutherford, started his own round-the-world trip. He also flew an ultralight aircraft. Five months later, on August 24, Mack became the youngest person ever to fly around the world. He broke the record previously held by Travis Ludlow.

Awards and Recognition

Zara has received many awards for her incredible flight. In June 2022, she received the Nicolaus August Otto Award. In August 2022, she got the Baron Hilton Award from the Living Legends of Aviation. This group includes famous aviators like Buzz Aldrin.

On September 12, 2022, Zara and her brother Mack received the Master's Medal. This award is given for amazing flying and endurance. Other famous people who have received this award include Sir Richard Branson.

In 2023, Zara and Mack also received the Segrave Trophy. This award goes to British people who show great skill, courage, and initiative in land, water, or air. Zara was the youngest woman, and Mack the youngest person, to receive it.

Education and Future Plans

Zara Rutherford finished her high school studies at St. Swithun's School in England. She studied Math, Economics, and Physics.

In September 2022, she started college at Stanford University. She is interested in computer science, engineering, and flying. Zara plans to keep flying for fun and hopes to become a flight instructor.

Public Speaking

Zara now gives talks to groups of people. She shares her story at many events around the world. She has spoken in Mexico, Belgium, and Saudi Arabia.

Publishing a Book

Zara wrote a book for young people called I flew around the world. In the book, she tells all about her adventures during her solo flight. The book is published by DK publishing.

See also

• List of circumnavigations
• List of women aviators
• Mack Rutherford⁣ – the youngest person to fly solo around the world.