One Woman Just Became The Youngest Female To Ever Accomplish A Truly Wild Feat

These weren’t the only dangerous moments that Rutherford endured on her journey, both above and below the clouds. There were plenty of times when she was in serious peril. Yet she didn’t let that stop her. Instead, she conquered her fears and went on to achieve something incredible — she bagged a world record. 

Rutherford’s impressive accomplishment isn’t the only component to her record, though: her achievement is intrinsically linked to her comparative youth. The adventurer’s skills and character were pushed to the brink again and again, but in the end she endured. And we think you’ll agree, the flyer’s tenacity has paid off big-time. 

At just 19, the British-Belgian broke her world record in a plane before she even began university. “I have been flying for as long as I can remember,” she told website Fly Zolo, “and one of my biggest dreams — as well as flying around the world — is becoming an astronaut.” Rutherford ultimately wishes to study computer science or engineering. 

Rutherford has stated that she wants to be an inspiration to other women in mainly male-led fields, such as science. The intrepid aviator broke her world record in a small plane. And as you’ll learn, her journey proved an epic and perilous adventure which spanned five continents.

While Rutherford hasn’t gone into space yet, she has achieved her other goal. You see, she broke the world record for being the youngest woman to fly solo around the world. And if you think that’s impressive, just wait until you hear the obstacles she faced. It wasn’t as easy as it sounds — which is already very difficult indeed! 

If you think it sounds like Rutherford has piloting in her blood, you’re right. She told Fly Zolo, “I was born into a family of aviators and was lucky to have great role models in my parents and grandparents.” This inherited passion led to the young aviator earning several licenses she needed for her worldwide flight. 

Rutherford elaborated, “I hold FAA and U.K. private pilot licenses, plus Slovakian and French microlight licenses. I have been a member of the Honorable Company of Air Pilots since 2019.” The ambitious woman must have been ecstatic to earn them — she’s wanted to fly around the world ever since she turned 14. 

The young aviator’s following in the footsteps of some talented women, but it’s not just coincidence. Rutherford draws inspiration from some successful female role models in history. The famous Russian astronaut Valentina Tereshkova and pilot Amelia Earhart, both pioneers in their respective fields, are among them. Still,Rutherford thinks there should be more.

“I want to build on [my] heritage and inspire others,” Rutherford said. “My aim is to encourage girls and young women to pursue their dreams and promote aviation and STEM-related careers — science, technology, engineering, mathematics — for them. Only 5 percent of commercial pilots and 15 percent of computer scientists are women.”

Rutherford continued, “In both areas — aviation and STEM — the gender gap is huge. It is in fact a dream gap as our dreams are shaped from early childhood through the fairytales and role models we are exposed to. Boys learn through toys, street names, history classes and movies that they can be scientists, astronauts, CEOs or presidents.” 

“Girls are often encouraged to be beautiful, kind, helpful and sweet,” Rutherford concluded. “With my flight I want to show young women that they can be bold, ambitious and make their dreams come true.” We’re sure the famous Earhart would agree with Rutherford if the illustrious aviator were alive today. 

There are actually quite a lot of similarities between Earhart's story and Rutherford’s own. Both women found their passion early, though in Earhart’s case she got into aviation through Frank Hawks, who flew in World War I. A single flight in 1920 was enough to enchant her, and she took flying lessons a year later. 

Earhart began her own career at age 24 under the tutelage of another female pilot, Neta Snook. She passed the same year and began making an impact immediately. Within 12 months she became the first woman to fly solo above 14,000 feet. It didn’t end there, either — Earhart broke another record a decade later.

The pioneering aviator was the first woman — and only the second person regardless of gender — to fly across the Atlantic Ocean solo. It was a feat which earned her the Distinguished Flying Cross, given to those for “heroism or extraordinary achievement while participating in an aerial flight.” She was also the first woman to earn the military decoration. 

Among other achievements, Earhart broke records as both the first woman to fly a non-stop unaccompanied journey across the United States and as the first female pilot to fly to Hawaii solo. Tragically, she and her navigator Fred Noonan disappeared during Earhart’s second shot at being the first to fly around the globe. Neither of them were ever found. 

Thankfully that’s where the similarities with Rutherford’s journey ends, but our modern-day heroine’s travels weren’t without their challenges. So what was her aim, exactly? “The youngest man to have flown solo around the world, Travis Ludlow, was 18 years old,” Rutherford said. “The youngest woman, Shaesta Waiz, was 30 at the time of her flight.” Rutherford intended to beat that record. 

Her journey began In August 2021 in a Shark Aero. As all you aviation enthusiasts out there probably know, that’s a Slovakian-made ultralight aircraft capable of seating two and traveling at a top speed of 186mph, making it one of the world’s fastest lightweight planes. Even in such an impressive vehicle, though, Rutherford had travel limitations from the start. 

Specifically, Rutherford’s flights were limited to the daytime, since night travel or navigating through cloudy weather was too dangerous. With those constraints in mind, she set out west from Europe, stopping in several countries along the way. She’d initially planned for a three-month journey, but hitches en route made it far longer.

So what could possibly have happened in that time? Well, you’d be surprised. Some of the problems were bureaucratic, such as Rutherford’s unplanned landing in Bandar Udara Rhahadi Osman, Indonesia. It was actually bad weather that grounded her, but since she didn’t have the correct visas, sleeping rough at the airport for two full nights was the result. 

Still, there were other, potentially more dangerous obstacles that prevented the young aviator’s progress. Rutherford faced different issues while flying over colder territories including Russia and Alaska. In a press conference in 2022 Rutherford revealed, “I would say the hardest part was definitely flying over Siberia because it was just extremely cold.” 

“It was minus 35 degrees on the ground,” Rutherford elaborated. “If the engine were to stall, I’d be hours away from rescue, and I don’t know how long I could have survived.” She had good reason to worry too, since she did encounter technical problems that grounded her on occasion. 

For instance, Rutherford experienced a blocked pitot tube as she flew over New Mexico. And while that sounds like you’d need a doctor to fix a problem like that, the part in question is actually a piece of equipment used in speedometers. One of her aircraft’s tires also burst in Singapore, which was a huge inconvenience.

The damaged equipment meant that she had to spend time on the ground until it could be fixed, which wasn’t until after Christmas. Of course, when you’re on a worldwide expedition, the ground can be just as dangerous as the skies. This is something Rutherford experienced when she was in Veracruz, Mexico.

The pilot happened to be in the country when an earthquake hit her lodgings. “Suddenly the building started to sway,” Rutherford recounted. “I don’t think I’ve ever run faster down the stairs. I was really expecting the most dangerous part of this trip to be in the air.” It must have really shaken her up! 

And earthquakes weren’t the only natural disasters Rutherford witnessed, though she witnessed the others from the sky. She saw the wildfires raging through California from an uncomfortably close perspective. And even though she tried to avoid the smoke, it still reached her plane which was 12,000 feet in the air at that point. 

The thick dark plumes enveloped Rutherford’s Shark Aero even at such a great height. “I couldn’t see in front of me,” she relayed to The Guardian in 2022. “It was all kind of a brownish, smoky, orange, dirty color. I could smell the smoke as well, which was quite unpleasant.”

The trip from India to Dubai was also particularly grueling. Speaking to Fly Zolo Rutherford revealed, “It was long, it was eight hours. …The beginning was pretty tough because the air pollution in Mumbai was really bad. I think when I left it was like [8,202 feet] of visibility. And it doesn’t get better, right? So you don’t have a choice, you have to go.”

“It was just really hazy and smoky for two-and-a-half hours, you could really see the smog. It just kept on going and just wouldn’t stop. So I got a bit bored of that, because it was quite hard to see the ocean as well because of it. It just wasn’t much fun.”

Of course, besides the trying experiences, there were also some good ones. Although Rutherford described Siberia as a scary challenge, she also said it was “one of the most impressive moments.” She elaborated, “it is just so remote and I don’t know if I’ll ever get to see it again.”

“It is beautiful, but it is intimidating,” Rutherford told The Guardian. “The ocean is frozen at this time of year. There are no trees, there are no people, no roads, no electricity cables. In terms of wilderness there is nothing quite like it.” 

Saudi Arabia was another great flight for Rutherford. She described it as “really beautiful: very diverse and the weather was great.” As for her longest time on the ground, bad weather meant the young aviator spent three weeks in Ayan, Russia. Although there was limited contact with the outside world and hardly anyone spoke English, Rutherford characterized the locals as “very kind and willing to help.”

Rutherford landed in Belgium's Kortrijk-Wevelgem airport two months later than her projected time. All told, the journey took her 155 days thanks to various unforeseen delays. Still, speed wasn’t her goal. Rutherford aimed to be the first woman to fly solo around the world, and she did it — arriving home to a glorious reception. 

Rutherford touched down to an assembled crowd of fans and journalists who let out a massive cheer as she hit the runway. The aviator herself looked just as ecstatic, waving triumphantly to the audience from the cockpit. And of course, she couldn’t contain her excitement when she spoke to the press afterwards.

“I was just so happy,” Rutherford told The Guardian when she landed in 2022. “I’m still in disbelief, to be honest! It’s been such a difficult journey, and being back here is just crazy for me.” And that’s how one young 19-year-old aviator won a world record. Well, that’s not quite accurate. 

You see, when Rutherford landed and picked up her certificate confirming her initial world record, she’d actually achieved a second one, too. She’s also the first Belgian to make a solo flight around the world. The aviator’s definitely living up to her goal of giving young women a new role model. 

Headteacher Jane Gandee of Rutherford’s alma mater St Swithun’s School told BBC News in 2022 that Rutherford had enraptured her students “with interest and admiration.” She continued, “As if the actual flying and navigation were not challenging enough, she had to contend with extreme weather and tricky bureaucracy. We are immensely proud of the good humor and resilience that she has shown throughout.”

“Fifty of our own students have been inspired by Rutherford to have a go at flying,” Gandee continued. “And I am sure that her example will serve as inspiration for many more young women around the world.” So now that she’s accomplished one of her life’s goals already, what’s next for Rutherford? 

Well, Rutherford still has her other bucket-list achievement to complete — becoming an astronaut. In fact, she’s been working on it during her worldwide flight by sending out university applications on the fly, as it were. No doubt she’ll go on to even greater things when she reaches for the stars, because for Rutherford, the only way is up.