19 year old flying solo around the world
 

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/19-year-old-pilot-zara-rutherford-touches-down-in-new-york-city-during-attempt-to-break-world-record/ar-AANMZ5k?ocid=msedgntp

I know nothing about piloting an aircraft, but this plane seems mighty small for such a journey. Wouldn't a twin engine be more preferable?

Impressive and lovely girl. I hope she succeeds!

Wasn't there a girl that has tried to sail solo across the Atlantic a couple of times and had issues each time. That's a huge bummer.

I'm curious what she's going to do when she hits the Pacific. Is she going to head up and essentially fly the land bridge (Alaska - Russia). I can't imagine that thing can go that far on a single tank of fuel.

https://flyzolo.com/route/http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1630071865.jpg

Lots of small islands out there

wow, that's quite the itinerary. Not JUST around the world, but a very circuitous route to hit as many places as possible it appears.

It's great that she seems to have some big sponsors. I'm sure that has helped not only the costs, but planning and logistics.

More power to her!

She is too cool!!!

I am going to follow along.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1630073227.jpg

Nice airplane, btw,:

Shark Aero is a high-performance two seat tandem ultralight aircraft with retractable gear, smaller wing, variable-pitch propeller and first class comfortable cockpit interior.

Shark was designed and constructed as fast cross-country airplane, build on innovative design and new technologies.

Using the most advanced technology of carbon fibre epoxy composite and its uncompromisingly optimised aerodynamics makes the Shark the fastest ultralight aircraft proven by the world speed record and rewarded by numbers of design awards.

SHARK is powered by a ROTAX 912 ULS 100 hp engine running WOODCOMP 2-blade adjustable propeller. With low operating costs, long range (1600 km), exceptional speed (optimum cruising speed of 140 knots) and long service life, access to any public airport at optimum while keeping operational cost minimum.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1630073285.jpg

Ambitious trip. I’m assuming some of those longer rest days are for airplane maintenance? It certainly wouldn’t go that many miles without some routine maintenance and checkups?

Yea, she will need some oil changes, and lots of maintenance checks.

We are in the middle of our annual inspection for our 182T. Every single panel gets opened up, the interior removed, and a through mechanical test of the engine, radios and lighting. From the tip of the nose cone to the tip of the tail it is all checked and repaired or replaced as needed. Typical is 80 hours and several parts if all is well.

We have to replace a few of the bulbs for the aux lighting of the instruments. For a car it would be a bag of a dozen for 20 bucks. For the Cessna, over a hundred each for the three we need to replace. And we can't fly aerial photos at night and we don't fly at night very often. It has to be done.

So yea, if she is smart she will have a ground crew meet her at some stops to do some maintenance. I would not want some local mechanic that has never seen her aircraft touching it.

I wonder how much it will cost for her trip? Lots. Cool journey.

Thanks for posting that. That's quite the route.

As I said before, I hope it goes smoothly and she makes it. A kid like this restores hope in the world.

I'm sure it's not going to be free or cheap, but also probably not nearly as expensive as if you did it.

I suspect those names on the fuselage, especially the red one, probably tossed a bunch of money and assistance towards this venture.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1630076135.jpg

That read one explains why one of her stops is the spaceport on NM too. This is the kind of thing that Branson would throw some cash behind.

exactly. I suspect her families costs are probably not substantial for this endeavor.

Absolutely. That and the fact that she interviews like a dream and seems to be a very smart, appealing young woman.

She seems to be going the opposite direction as the last solo pilot.

One of our former customers was a retired SR-71 pilot. When we discovered that we quizzed him on every visit for stories. He said more than once he would call his wife and say "Honey I will be home for supper tonight" and climb in at a base that he described as just "Indochina" area, overfly North Vietnam, and set the nose for home. Land, at Edwards AFB, debrief, and drive home for dinner. Just a tad more expensive of a flight and no landings in between, just air to air refueling.

So," no worries" having a single engine?

Nothing about this venture is 'no worries'. She's flying over a lot of areas where she won't survive an emergency landing. IMO...

The ROTAX 912 ULS 100 hp engine is not your Sea-Doo's Rotax. Nice motor:

https://www.flyrotax.com/files/Bilder/Produkte%20Rotax/Datasheets/912%20ULS_Datasheet_2020.pdf

Very, very reliable engine.

I doubt, at her age, she has a dual engine ticket, or is instrument rated. I'll look it up later.

Always an issue.

We have 19 year-old men and women service members the world over. She is stretching, good for her.

I can’t believe she landed that at JFK. I’m not a pilot but I’ve watched videos of the lengthy approach to JFK and can’t imagine doing it in something that slow.

When my dad was learning to fly, in the late 50s or early 60s, he elected to go to SFO on his cross country trip… that didn’t go well.

I know she's someone's kid, but this young woman is hardly a kid.

There was a time, and I'm going from memory here, that the minimum age for single engine solo flight was like 14? And there were a lot of really young people trying some really long distances. And there were consequences....

In my mind, those people were kids.

And I don't mean for this to come off as throwing shade at you, Steve - not my intent. I just think that at 19 years old, a good percentage of women have left their 'kid' days far far behind...

(Now, as for those 33 year old men living at home in their parent's basement, well, totally different scenario)