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Youngest woman around the world (Zara Rutherford)

https://flyzolo.com/route/

Ms Rutherford has made it to Mother Russia, crossing Siberia in the winter probably not practical hence the route towards the tropics.

Oxford (EGTK), United Kingdom

RobertL18C wrote:

crossing Siberia in the winter probably not practical hence the route towards the tropics.

“Around the world” has to have some sort of definition. You can start just south/north of any pole, and walk “around the world” in seconds. IMO around the world has to mean at least an equal distance to any great circle around the world. Flying across Siberia would be cheating. I wonder if she actually will fly the distance “around the world”? She probably will by criss crossing the way she does, but what is the difference between that and flying circles around the pole enough times?

Pole to pole to pole is an indisputable “around the world”, as would any route crossing two diametrically opposite points on the globe. Everything else is nothing but a version of flying an equal distance to the distance around the world. It’s not actually flying around the world IMO.

The elephant is the circulation
ENVA ENOP ENMO, Norway

https://www.fai.org/sites/default/files/documents/sc_section_2_2013.pdf

From Google I understand the FAI defines the minimum round the world distance for record setting purposes is 36,770 km which compares to 40,075 km for RTW GC at the equator.

Oxford (EGTK), United Kingdom

That’s interesting. I believe the sailing community require that your track miles covered be greater than a GC round the equator, that you cross the equator at least once, and that you return to your starting longitude by continuous travel either east or west.

EGLM & EGTN

I admire this young woman flying around. She will have her challenges and can count on her dad to support her. Sam helped me once with fuel in Africa as well where I could not please find it myself.

EDLE, Netherlands

From Guinness:

Start and finish points must be the same location.

The journey should be continual and in one direction i.e. East to West or West to East. Any
considerable distance travelled opposite to the direction of the attempt (be it on foot or by other
means of transport such as an aircraft) will be discounted from any calculations of the overall
distance travelled.

The journey must be continuous, with each leg of the journey beginning at the point at which
the previous leg ended

The minimum distance travelled by the chosen means (e.g. bicycle) should be 18,000 miles
(28,970 km), and the total distance travelled by the participant (e.g. by public or chartered
transportation), should exceed an equator’s length or ‘great circle’, i.e. more than 24,900 miles
(40,075 km).

No form of private transport may be used other than that by which the attempt is undertaken.

Scheduled public and chartered transport may be used, but the challenger must be a
passenger aboard these forms of transport. The challenger may not drive, ride or otherwise
operate any means of chartered or public transport.

The scheduled public or chartered transport must be operated by a commercial, professional
person or organisation. The challenger must provide tickets (or other appropriate documentation)
for all such journeys showing the date, time, start and end point and ticket price.

The participant must pass through two approximate antipodal points during the attempt. For
exact antipodal points the co-ordinates north and south are the same, whilst that east plus that
west equals 180°. However, for this event an allowance of 5° difference in total is permitted. For
example, consider Madrid, Spain and Wellington, New Zealand:
• Madrid, Spain 40.25N Wellington, NZ 41.17S Difference 0.92°
• Madrid, Spain 3.43W Wellington, NZ 174.47E E+W = 177.90°
• Deduct from 180° = 2.10°
• Total: 2.10° + 0.92° = 3.02° – Acceptable

It is a requirement that the proposed route – including public and charted transport – is
submitted prior to the attempt to ensure that the requirement with regard to the distances covered will be achieved. Details of how the distances have been calculated must be given. The two antipodal points on the route must also be indicated.

The entire journey must be tracked by the use of an accurate professional equipment GPS
tracking device carried by the challenger .kml files (on a disc or USB flash drive) must be sent in
as part of the evidence required. These files must include timestamped waypoints/trackpoints and the distance covered.

Witness statements must be completed by those witnesses present at the start and end of
the attempt. The template for these can be found in the Your Guide to Evidence document.

A witness book must be made available for independent witnesses, met along the journey, to
sign. The book should be set up so that each witness includes their name, the location, the date
and time, their signature and their email address or phone number. For an attempt which is
supported by a backup team, we would expect it to be possible to gain sufficient numbers of
independent witnesses to enable verification for the entire duration of the attempt. Where
possible, local dignitaries and police should be sought to sign the book. For solo and unsupported attempts, we appreciate that it might not be possible to gain an unbroken line of witnesses for the attempt, but one should try to obtain as many as possible.

Dated photographs at recognisable landmarks must be provided.
Receipts for purchases and services may also be collected as an additional form of proof.
Travel tickets for any form of scheduled public or chartered transport should also be kept and
submitted.

Copies of the traveller(s) passport/s must be submitted (only the front page and the pages
relevant to this particular journey).

It will assist the claim if news coverage is obtained from throughout the trip, not merely in the
country of origin.

Video evidence is required. We do not expect the entire attempt to be submitted on video – a
‘highlights package’ will be acceptable. This must include the following points: a) Footage of the
start of the attempt; b) The point at which the record is broken; d) Any significant occurrences
along the journey, and c) The end of the attempt.

Note that no distinction will be made between supported and unsupported journeys.

thanks for chiming in Sam_Rutherford, good info.

RTW flights have been achieved by many (Earthrounders). By people sponsored or not, flying jets, turboprops, helicopters, multi, singles, balloons, you name it…
I truly salute all of them, as I learned about the dedication it takes for most to achieve such a flight(s). Doing so flying an SEP “VFR” earns well deserved recognition. A few people have even built their own aircraft to achieve their dream, special kudos to those.

I sincerely wish that those doing such flights do it for the fact of earthrounding itself, and not in any recognition of being the wealthier, most sponsored… or youngest. Youngest only rimes with having the least experience, certainly not conductive in achieving a safe flight.

Notwithstanding the above sentence, wishing Zara a safe continuation of her earthrounding.

Dan
ain't the Destination, but the Journey
LSZF, Switzerland

Hi Dan,

“Life’s short… enjoy!”

Sam_Rutherford wrote:

The journey should be continual and in one direction i.e. East to West or West to East

What about from pole to pole to pole?

The elephant is the circulation
ENVA ENOP ENMO, Norway

@LeSving

The guidelines are universal (for any means of transport) – so includes the yachties, walkers, runners etc.

They could have added north to south or south to north to the ‘ie’ – but it would apply to a tiny percentage of attempts (even most of the flying ones go east/west).

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