British-Belgian teen becomes youngest person to fly solo around the world

Mack Rutherford smiles from the cabin of his plane after his arrival at an airport near Radomir, Bulgaria, August 24, 2022. REUTERS/Stoyan Nenov

SOFIA (Reuters) - British-Belgian teenager became the youngest person to fly solo around the world on Wednesday after a five-month journey that saw him battle monsoon rains, searing heat and frustrating bureaucracy.

Cheers went up as 17-year-old Mack Rutherford landed at an airfield near the Bulgarian capital Sofia after flying 54,124 km (33,631 miles) and visiting more than 30 countries since he departed from the same site in his Shark Aero microlight airplane on March 23.