19-year-old to create aviation record for youngest woman to fly solo around the world

19-year-old Zara Rutherford is all set to become the youngest woman to fly solo all around the world. The Belgian-British has been preparing for months to set a world record to depart on a journey of 51,000 kilometres, which is about (32,000 miles). She is said to fly around in her Shark ultralight plane, which is the world's fastest microlight. Zara is scheduled to undertake her adventurous journey on August 11, 2021.

Zara's parents Beatrice de Smet and Sam Rutherford are pilots too. They have extended complete support to their young teenager in her every step. However, Beatrice was initially taken aback when Zara announced her gap year plans. It took her time to "digest" the news, she told a news agency. Nevertheless, both the parents echoed that they are proud of Zara and expect her to complete the journey in about two to three months.

Youngest Woman to fly solo wishes to create enthusiasm for STEM education

With her world record, Rutherford also wishes to create an enthusiasm for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) among girls and women. According to the UNESCO groundbreaking report 'Cracking the code: Girls’ and women’s education in STEM,' only 35% of STEM students in higher education globally are women, and differences are observed within STEM disciplines.  She said during an interview with BBC News, she wants to inspire others to follow in her footsteps. She dreams to lessen the gap between men and women in the aviation industry.

To inspire others, Zara has allowed her followers to sneak a peek at her practice sessions through the public Instagram handle @Fly.zolo. She has uploaded stories and reels which has vividly presented her determination and confidence for the journey she is expected to embark upon. She has uploaded pictures of her trip from Texas to Dubai. She took her followers around the mesmerising snow-capped mountains in Kulusuk, Greenland. Furthermore, she also bestowed her followers with a bird's eye view of the Pyramid of Giza in Egypt.  Take a look:

Self-funded journey across the world

Amazingly, the teenager is said to self-fund her journey to circumnavigate the world. On June 17, Zara also asked her fans if anyone wished to accompany her on the trip. She posed for a picture on the tarmac of Chicago Executive Airport. Zara uploaded the picture with a caption, "I've been rethinking about the 'solo' bit of my solo around the world, anyone wanna fly me in this instead?" Last but not the least, she has also welcomed sponsors, if any, for her trip to circumnavigate the world. 

(Input: @Fly.zolo/Instagram)