A 17-year-old pilot landed in Scotland as part of his world record attempt at becoming the youngest person to fly solo around all of the planet.
Mack Rutherford flew from Sofia, Bulgaria on March 23, 2015, to Italy and Greece.
He has since flown on across the world, facing sandstorms in Sudan, extreme heat in Dubai, airport closures in India and many technical issues.
The British-Belgian teenager arrived in Aberdeen on Saturday, the last leg of his return journey to Sofia. He plans to arrive there on August 24.
Mack flew North Carolina as part of his travels (macksolo.com/PA).
Over the course of his journey, it was a pleasure to meet young people like him who accomplish amazing things and make an impact.
He stated: “There are many people of my age who do amazing things. Often few people know about them.”
He also added: “Together we can show that young people make a difference.”
Mack will attempt to break the current record of the youngest male solo pilot to fly around the globe. This record is currently held by Briton Travis Ludlow who accomplished the feat at the age of 18 years and 150 days.
Zara, Zara’s sister, spurred him on. Zara, at 19 years old, became the youngest person to fly around the globe in a microlight and was the youngest person in the world to do so.
The teenage pilot has always wanted to fly since he could be three years old. He was granted his pilot’s license in September 2020 at the age 15 and 2 months.
His father Sam, a professional ferry pilot and his mother Beatrice, a private pilot, are both avid flyers.
Mack Rutherford (Gareth Fuller/PA), with his sister ZaraPA Archive/PA Images Gareth Fuller
He stated: “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.”
The Shark is a high-performance ultralight aircraft that can reach speeds of 300 km/h.
The aircraft has been specially prepared for such a long journey and ICDSoft, Mack’s main sponsor, is loaning him the plane for the attempt.