Mack Rutherford, a 16-year-old British-Belgian teenager, landed in Da Nang on July 19 on his journey to break the record for the youngest pilot to fly solo around the world, according to an announcement from the British Embassy in Vietnam.
Rutherford flies the Shark Aero, which can fly extremely fast at speeds of up to 300km/h. The plane is carefully prepared for long-distance travel.
16-year-old pilot Mack Rutherford stops in Da Nang on his journey around the world
On the MackSolo website, Rutherford's team said the pilot enjoyed favorable weather and "beautiful scenery" on the flight from Thailand to Vietnam. Rutherford also enjoyed local specialties during the trip.
Rutherford departed from Bulgaria in March, using the Sharky ultralight aircraft to fly across Europe, Africa and Asia, stopping in Kolkata, India, and Chiang Mai, Thailand before arriving in Vietnam. Rutherford's next stop is the Philippines.
Mack Rutherford grew up in a family of pilots, amassing hundreds of hours of flying experience with his father, including two transatlantic flights.
Mack Rutherford's Ultralight Aircraft
Mack's older sister, Zara, also set a record earlier this year when she became the youngest female pilot to fly solo around the world at the age of 19.
Sharing on his personal website, Rutherford said he received his license to fly a microplane at the age of 15, making him the youngest pilot in the world. Rutherford shared that he wanted to be the youngest person to fly solo around the world.
