Teen pilot reaches Kenya in round the world quest

NAIROBI, Might 18 (Reuters) – A 16-year-old schoolboy who’s on a quest to turn out to be the youngest individual to fly world wide solo, landed his small airplane in Kenya’s capital, Nairobi, on Wednesday.

Mack Rutherford, who has British and Belgian nationality, began his journey close to the Bulgarian capital Sofia in March and is trying to clinch a Guinness World document at present held by compatriot Travis Ludlow, who was 18 when he accomplished a circumnavigation final yr.

“I am hoping, with this journey, to encourage younger individuals to comply with their desires,” Rutherford stated after clambering out of his two-seater single prop ultralight plane, at Wilson Airport.

The airplane’s producer, Shark Aero, deemed the journey too dangerous and declined to associate with Rutherford’s mission.

“Mack is little question a talented pilot. Nevertheless, we don’t really feel comfy pushing the age restrict to the bottom doable level for journeys the place a sure degree of threat can’t be averted,” the corporate stated on its web site.

Rutherford’s journey will see him go to 4 extra African and Indian Ocean nations, earlier than heading to the Center East, Asia and North America and at last returning to Europe.

Coming from a household of pilots, Rutherford first took the controls of an plane on the age of seven, sitting alongside his father.

At 15 he turned the youngest pilot on the earth and is now following within the footsteps of his older sister Zara, the youngest lady to fly world wide at age 19.

Visibility was a problem whereas flying throughout the Sahara desert, he stated, however the surroundings greater than made up for it.

“It hasn’t let me down, I’ve completely beloved the views each across the Sahara desert and in Kenya,” he stated.

Reporting by Edwin Waita
Writing by Hereward Holland
Enhancing by James Macharia Chege, Alexandra Hudson

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