A 17-year-old pilot who is attempting to become the youngest person to complete a solo flight around the world has landed in Aberdeen.
Mack Rutherford landed in Dyce on Saturday afternoon on the final leg of his journey, before heading to the Deeside Gliding Club in Aboyne.
He spent the evening at the club enjoying a barbecue with staff and sharing stories from his solo travels.
Mack’s adventure included an 11-hour flight across the Bering Sea, just one of the challenges he has faced in his attempt to beat two Guinness World Records.
If successful, he will become the youngest person to circumnavigate the world solo in an aircraft and gain the title of the youngest person to do so in a microlight – a record currently held by his sister.
‘Make a difference’
The 17-year-old’s journey is taking longer than expected and he has been faced with a number of obstacles on the way.
From permit and visa issues originally holding up his flight, to dealing with monsoon rains, sandstorms and extreme heat, Mack has been able to stay focused on his goal the whole time.
He aims to prove that young people can pursue and achieve “amazing things” despite challenges and obstacles.
He said: “There are many people of my age who do amazing things. Often few people know about them. I am really looking forward to meeting some of them.
“Together we can show that young people make a difference.”
Five months of travel
The young pilot, who is from Winchester, started his journey on March 23 when he took off from Sofia, Bulgaria – but then got held up in Italy due to delays with documents.
From there he has flown to many locations in Africa, Asia and North America in a Shark – a high-performance ultralight aircraft with a cruising speed of up to 186mph.
Arriving in the UK on Saturday, he made stops at Wick, Aberdeen and Aboyne and left the north-east to head south towards England on Sunday.
If all goes to plan, he will complete his journey in Sofia on Wednesday afternoon, which can be tracked live on his website.
A flying family
Mack has had a lifelong dream of becoming a pilot and qualified for his licence in September 2020 – becoming the youngest pilot in the world at the time, aged just 15 years and two months.
Flying is a passion for his whole family, his father, Sam Rutherford, is a professional ferry pilot who transports aircraft from one location to another, while his mother Beatrice De Smet is a private pilot.
His sister, Zara Rutherford, is currently the youngest person to have circumnavigated the world in a microlight, having completed her journey on January 20.
She is also the youngest woman in history to have ever completed this flight.
Mack added: “I have been fortunate to have had a family that has been able to help me progress in my flying.
“But no matter what background you have, I believe it is never too early to work towards your dreams and you shouldn’t limit yourself by others’ expectations.”
Conversation