A teenage pilot is hoping to carve a name for herself in the history books as the youngest woman to circumnavigate the planet flying solo.
Zara Rutherford, 19, departed her home town of Kortrijk in Belgium on Wednesday in the first stage of an epic three-month journey during which she will travel to 52 countries over the next 12 weeks.
Flying a tiny Shark Aero, the world’s lightest sports plane, Rutherford’s first flight was a short hop across the English Channel to the UK.
She'd originally planned to leave Belgium last week, but delayed the launch to install an improved camera system inside her plane to help her capture better quality footage as she flies around the globe.
Citing Amelia Earhart, the world’s most famous female aviator, as one of her inspirations, the teenager is now up in the air as her history-making voyage across the world’s oceans, deserts and wilderness gets under way.
Zara Rutherford's 52-country journey: from Iceland to Siberia, India to Dubai
On Wednesday, the young pilot flew from England to Aberdeen and is expected to fly from Wick, in the far north of Scotland, towards Iceland on Thursday. On Friday, she'll navigate onwards to Greenland and then her journey will take her west towards the Canadian Arctic.
Flying down the east coast of the US to Latin America she’ll travel as far as Colombia, then head back north over Mexico and up towards Alaska. From there, her flight plan moves towards the Siberian wilderness and across Russia, dipping south to take in China, the Philippines and Indonesia.
Heading north, she’ll cover India and then fly towards the UAE, where she’s expected to land in Dubai on October 23.
Hopping across to Saudi Arabia, she’ll then fly to Egypt, her last stop in the Middle East. Rutherford's journey then takes her back to Europe via Greece, Bulgaria, Slovakia and the Czech Republic before she heads into the home straight via Germany and France with a scheduled landing back in Belgium on November 4.
“I will be flying a Shark. It is a high-performance ultralight aircraft manufactured in Europe. It is incredibly fast with cruising speed reaching 300 kilometres per hour. The aircraft has been specially prepared for such a long journey,” Rutherford says.
The jet is also incredibly light, weighing only 325 kilograms – about half the weight of the average Arabian horse. The two-seat tandem aircraft has retractable gear, a variable-pitch propeller and a comfortable cockpit interior, which Rutherford will be thankful for as she's going to be clocking up a lot of hours at the controls.
Throughout her flight plan, the young pilot will prioritise smaller airfields and airports for landings where she will rest and refuel, with a few exceptions including New York’s JFK and Dubai International Airport.
Live flight tracking and TikTok updates
“With this flight I want to encourage girls and young women to pursue their dreams. I want to reduce the gender gap in aviation as well as in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (Stem),” Rutherford posted on her website FlyZolo, which has been set up for the record breaking attempt.
“My aim is to inspire young women and girls to pursue whatever they may be interested in, even if that is seen as traditionally male.”
To follow the teenager's record-breaking venture, visit FlyZolo, where you can track her flight live as she soars around the planet.
She will also document her journey on TikTok under @FlyZolo, which currently has reels featuring footage from the aircraft and highlights from her recent solo trip from Chicago to Egypt, where she stopped to dance at several airfields en route.
Grant Shapps, the UK’s Secretary of State for Transport, tweeted that the youngster was “breaking more than just soundwaves by inspiring young people to consider futures in aviation".
If successful, Rutherford will be the youngest woman to circumnavigate the world solo. She won't be the youngest pilot, as Travis Ludlow, 18, from the UK, completed a round-the-world flight in July this year.
She will, however, be the youngest pilot to complete the task in a microlight – as Ludlow flew a Cessna 172, which has four seats and weighs more than twice as much as Rutherford's Shark.
Her triumph will also claim the record from Shaesta Waiz, the first female certified civilian pilot from Afghanistan, who flew around the world solo in a single-engine aircraft at the age of 30 in 2017.
Funds raised from Rutherford's circumnavigation attempt will go towards helping Waiz's charity Dreams Soar, a non-profit that hopes to inspire women to enter Stem fields of study and careers.
Another charity that funds raised through her trip will support is Girls Who Code, an organisation that aims to increase the number of women working in computer science.
How to apply for a drone permit
- Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
- Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
- Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
- Submit their request
What are the regulations?
- Fly it within visual line of sight
- Never over populated areas
- Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
- Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
- Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
- Should have a live feed of the drone flight
- Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Results
6.30pm Al Maktoum Challenge Round-3 Group 1 (PA) US$100,000 (Dirt) 2,000m, Winner Bandar, Fernando Jara (jockey), Majed Al Jahouri (trainer).
7.05pm Meydan Classic Listed (TB) $175,000 (Turf) 1,600m, Winner Well Of Wisdom, William Buick, Charlie Appleby.
7.40pm Handicap (TB) $135,000 (T) 2,000m, Winner Star Safari, Mickael Barzalona, Charlie Appleby.
8.15pm Handicap (TB) $135,000 (D) 1,600m, Winner Moqarrar, Fabrice Veron, Erwan Charpy.
8.50pm Nad Al Sheba Trophy Group 2 (TB) $300,000 (T) 2,810m, Winner Secret Advisor, William Buick, Charlie Appleby.
9.25pm Curlin Stakes Listed (TB) $175,000 (D) 2,000m, Winner Parsimony, William Buick, Doug O’Neill.
10pm Handicap (TB) $135,000 (T) 2,000m, Winner Simsir, Ronan Whelan, Michael Halford.
10.35pm Handicap (TB) $175,000 (T) 1,400m, Winner Velorum, Mickael Barzalona, Charlie Appleby.
Avatar: Fire and Ash
Director: James Cameron
Starring: Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Zoe Saldana
Rating: 4.5/5
Fixtures and results:
Wed, Aug 29:
- Malaysia bt Hong Kong by 3 wickets
- Oman bt Nepal by 7 wickets
- UAE bt Singapore by 215 runs
Thu, Aug 30:
- UAE bt Nepal by 78 runs
- Hong Kong bt Singapore by 5 wickets
- Oman bt Malaysia by 2 wickets
Sat, Sep 1: UAE v Hong Kong; Oman v Singapore; Malaysia v Nepal
Sun, Sep 2: Hong Kong v Oman; Malaysia v UAE; Nepal v Singapore
Tue, Sep 4: Malaysia v Singapore; UAE v Oman; Nepal v Hong Kong
Thu, Sep 6: Final
The Vines - In Miracle Land
Two stars
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
Naga
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Recycle Reuse Repurpose
New central waste facility on site at expo Dubai South area to handle estimated 173 tonne of waste generated daily by millions of visitors
Recyclables such as plastic, paper, glass will be collected from bins on the expo site and taken to the new expo Central Waste Facility on site
Organic waste will be processed at the new onsite Central Waste Facility, treated and converted into compost to be re-used to green the expo area
Of 173 tonnes of waste daily, an estimated 39 per cent will be recyclables, 48 per cent organic waste and 13 per cent general waste.
About 147 tonnes will be recycled and converted to new products at another existing facility in Ras Al Khor
Recycling at Ras Al Khor unit:
Plastic items to be converted to plastic bags and recycled
Paper pulp moulded products such as cup carriers, egg trays, seed pots, and food packaging trays
Glass waste into bowls, lights, candle holders, serving trays and coasters
Aim is for 85 per cent of waste from the site to be diverted from landfill
If you go
The flights
The closest international airport for those travelling from the UAE is Denver, Colorado. British Airways (www.ba.com) flies from the UAE via London from Dh3,700 return, including taxes. From there, transfers can be arranged to the ranch or it’s a seven-hour drive. Alternatively, take an internal flight to the counties of Cody, Casper, or Billings
The stay
Red Reflet offers a series of packages, with prices varying depending on season. All meals and activities are included, with prices starting from US$2,218 (Dh7,150) per person for a minimum stay of three nights, including taxes. For more information, visit red-reflet-ranch.net.
Stuck in a job without a pay rise? Here's what to do
Chris Greaves, the managing director of Hays Gulf Region, says those without a pay rise for an extended period must start asking questions – both of themselves and their employer.
“First, are they happy with that or do they want more?” he says. “Job-seeking is a time-consuming, frustrating and long-winded affair so are they prepared to put themselves through that rigmarole? Before they consider that, they must ask their employer what is happening.”
Most employees bring up pay rise queries at their annual performance appraisal and find out what the company has in store for them from a career perspective.
Those with no formal appraisal system, Mr Greaves says, should ask HR or their line manager for an assessment.
“You want to find out how they value your contribution and where your job could go,” he says. “You’ve got to be brave enough to ask some questions and if you don’t like the answers then you have to develop a strategy or change jobs if you are prepared to go through the job-seeking process.”
For those that do reach the salary negotiation with their current employer, Mr Greaves says there is no point in asking for less than 5 per cent.
“However, this can only really have any chance of success if you can identify where you add value to the business (preferably you can put a monetary value on it), or you can point to a sustained contribution above the call of duty or to other achievements you think your employer will value.”
