Nineteen-year-old Zara Rutherford’s bid to become the youngest woman and the first Belgian to fly around the world has run into problems since leaving Los Angeles in late September.
“After the many hiccups of the last weeks (weather, delays of all sorts, upset stomachs, mechanical issues…only three out of 39 flights went entirely according to plan,” she wrote.
Rutherford gearing up to leave. Photo: Zara Rutherford/Instagram
First, after leaving Los Angeles for Seattle, poor visibility from severe wildfires delayed her. She eventually made it to Ketchikan, Alaska on September 23. There, maintenance issues grounded her for a few days. She then flew to Juneau, Anchorage, and Nome. After arriving in Nome on October 1, her next big milestone was the Bering Strait.
Extreme weather and mechanical issues with her plane stalled her crossing into Russia. By the time the weather improved, her Russian visa had expired. She hung about in Nome while the Russian consulate in Houston, Texas renewed her visa. She also received some additional maintenance and modifications (to keep her engine warm as the northern winter settled in) while she waited.
By the time she received her visa on October 9, the weather had crapped out again. She had to stay in Nome until October 31 for the next weather window.
Rutherford finally leaves Nome, Alaska. Photo: Zara Rutherford/Instagram
Crosses Bering Strait, her half-way point
On November 1, she crossed the Bering Strait. This marked the half way point of her journey. The arctic climate tested her little Shark, which had never experienced such low temperatures before. She flew over Siberia to Magadan. Here, she had to wait of further week because of — you guessed it — bad weather.
De-icing in Ayan, Russia. Photo: Zara Rutherford/Instagram
On November 9, she arrived at a town further south called Ayan. She had not planned to stop here, but her plane urgently needed de-icing. She is still stuck there because of heavy snow. Welcome to winter in Siberia. Next Tuesday, the forecast calls for a severe snowstorm.
