McRutherford, 17, took off from Sofia, Bulgaria on March 23 this year and flew to Italy and Greece before sailing across Asia, Africa, the US and two oceans. The aviator landed back in the Bulgarian capital on Wednesday – five months after he set off on his odyssey. It broke the Guinness World Record set by 18-year-old Travis Ludlow in 2021, who completed the feat at the age of 18 and 150 days. Mack was encouraged by his sister Zara, who in January became the youngest woman to fly around the world, aged 19. He flew a fast ultralight Shark, which has a cruising speed of up to 300 km/h (186 mph). Speaking ahead of his trip, he said flying is a “dream” that has always been a part of his and his sister’s lives, following in the footsteps of their mother and father, who are both talented pilots. “When you go up in the air and see everything so small, you can literally go anywhere you want. “It’s just incredible, I’ve always loved it.” Mack, who qualified for his pilot’s license in July 2020 – the youngest pilot in the world aged 15 years and two weeks – insisted he is not trying to get his license for his sister and instead sees her as an inspiration.
