Share on FacebookShare on X (formerly Twitter)Share on PinterestShare on LinkedInSOFIA Bulgaria (AP) — A 17-year-old pilot became the youngest person to fly solo around the world in a small aircraft after he landed on Wednesday in Bulgaria where his journey kicked off five months ago landed on an airstrip west of Bulgaria’s capital to complete his task and to claim two Guinness World Records Along with becoming the youngest person to fly around the world by himself Rutherford is the youngest person to circumnavigate the globe in a microlight plane Rutherford said he hoped his achievement would inspire young people to pursue their dreams no matter how old you are – work hard and move forward to achieve your goals,” he said after he stepped out of the aircraft who finished her own trip global flight in January at age 19 Mack Rutherford took the age record from Travis Ludlow of Britain who was 18 when he made a solo flight around the world last year The journey, which began March 23, took Rutherford through 52 countries over five continents To set a mark recognized by the Guinness World Records Rutherford qualified for his pilot’s license in 2020 made him the youngest pilot in the world at the age of 15 His solo trip flying around the world kicked off in Bulgaria because his sponsor is headquartered in Sofia and loaned him the plane one of the fastest ultralight aircraft in the world with a cruising speed reaching 300 kph (186 mph) it was modified for his long journey by replacing the second seat with an extra fuel tank Initially planned to take up to three months the trip lasted longer because of several unexpected obstacles along his way But most of the delays were caused by waits to obtain permits and other documents required for further flight or having to alter the scheduled route if they were rejected The flight took him through Africa and the Gulf region to India He crossed the northern Pacific and landed after 10 uninterrupted hours in the air on a volcanic island near the Bering Strait he headed to Alaska and down the West Coast of the United States to Mexico Rutherford then headed north again along the U.S a huge crowd of people had arrived at the airport to welcome Rutherford and to celebrate his achievements Among them were the three members of his immediate family said he was extremely happy and proud of his children’s achievements He told reporters that such an event is especially encouraging for children to follow their dreams and parents to support them in their endeavors said she kept in close touch with her younger brother during his journey I constantly tried to keep in touch and help him so that I could be useful to him,” she said Mack Rutherford said he will now focus on his education “The next thing I’m going to do is to go back to school and catch up as much as I can,” he said Join the news democracyWhere your votes decide the Top 100 Reasons for you to sign up to our newsletter here A British-Belgian teenager has become the youngest person to fly solo around the world in a small aircraft was greeted by a crowd of supporters after landing west of Sofia in Bulgaria on Wednesday marking an end to his five-month journey through 52 countries encouraged others to “follow your dreams” after completing the challenge he told reporters: “Just follow your dreams “Work hard and move forward to achieve your goals.” His journey began on March 23 and has involved facing sandstorms in Sudan extreme heat in Dubai and airport closures in India Mack told the PA news agency he was “trying to show that young people can make a difference” and described the experience as “absolutely amazing” Mack Rutherford and his sister Zara Rutherford after landing at the Buzet airfield in Pont-A-Celles the penultimate day of his journey (Virginia Mayo/AP) He also revealed that the feat involved him at one point sleeping in a shed beside a runway on an uninhabited Pacific island after a “hairy moment” flying through rain and low cloud Mack has broken two Guinness World Records – becoming the youngest person to fly around the world solo and the youngest person to circumnavigate the globe in a microlight plane The previous record holder for flying solo was British pilot Travis Ludlow who was 18 years and 150 days old when he completed his journey last year and included a UK touchdown at London’s Biggin Hill Airport The teenager flew a Shark – a high-performance ultralight aircraft with a cruising speed reaching 300km/h (186mph) Mack Rutherford at Biggin Hill Airport during his bid to beat the Guinness World Record (Gareth Fuller/PA)PA Wire/PA Images - Gareth Fuller has been supporting him along the way after she became the youngest woman to fly around the world She was among those who greeted him following his final touchdown on Wednesday Miss Rutherford told the Associated Press: “While he was flying The teenager has wanted to be a pilot since the age of three and qualified for his pilot licence in September 2020 His father Sam Rutherford is a professional ferry pilot and his mother Beatrice is a private pilot.