Zara Rutherford Biography: Age, Parents, World Record Flight, Net Worth, Height, Sister, Career, Book

Zara Rutherford is a Belgian-British aviator who first gained international attention in early 2022 when she became the youngest woman ever to fly solo around the world.

At 19, she piloted a compact Shark UAV across five continents and 52 countries, battling extreme weather, visa challenges, and demanding navigation over remote regions.

By completing this venture, she earned recognition in the Guinness World Records—and inspired a wave of interest in both aviation and STEM among young people.

Profile

• Full name: Zara Rutherford
• Date of birth: 5 July 2002
• Age: 23 years old
• Gender: Female
• Place of birth: Brussels, Belgium
• Nationality: Belgian, British
• Profession: Aviator, public speaker, author
• Height: 5 feet 6 inches (1.68 meters)
• Eye color: Brown
• Hair color: Brown
• Parents: Sam Rutherford, Beatrice De Smet
• Siblings: Mack Rutherford
• Spouse: None
• Children: None
• Relationship status: Single
• Ethnicity: Belgian-British
• Net worth: $500,000

Early Life and education

Zara Rutherford, now at the age of 23, was born on 5 July 2002 in Brussels to Sam Rutherford, a British ex-Army helicopter pilot, and Beatrice De Smet, a Belgian recreational pilot and lawyer.

Her paternal great-great-grandmother was among the earliest women in South Africa to fly, and her family’s aviation heritage spans five generations.

From infancy she joined her parents in flights, logging hours behind the controls by age six.

At age 14, she began formal flight training, and by 2020 had earned Belgian, French microlight, UK private and FAA licenses.

She completed A-levels at St Swithun’s School in Winchester, focusing on mathematics, physics, economics and further mathematics.

Her ambition is to study computer science or engineering at the university level.

Personal Life

Zara Rutherford keeps her private life out of the spotlight.

She is currently single, has no spouse or children, and has not disclosed any romantic relationships.

Her primary focus remains on aviation, exploration and advocacy for women and girls in STEM.

Career

Zara announced her record attempt during a press conference at Popham Airfield in July 2021.

On 18 August 2021, she took off from Kortrijk-Wevelgem Airport in a Shark microlight aircraft, embarking on a journey that spanned 32,300 miles through 52 nations and five continents.

She completed the trip on 20 January 2022 in Belgium, making her both the youngest woman and the first person to circumnavigate solo in that aircraft class.

Along the route, she faced severe weather, Russian visa delays—spending a month in Nome, Alaska—and navigational challenges around North Korea’s airspace.

Supported by sponsors such as ICDSoft, Virgin Group and SafeSky, she also partnered with charities Girls Who Code and Dreams Soar.

Following the flight, Zara became an active public speaker signed with Kruger Cowne, addressing conferences worldwide.

She is also the author of a memoir titled I Flew Around the World, published by DK.

Awards

• Honor: Guinness World Record — Youngest female pilot to fly solo around the world; first solo microlight circumnavigation (2022)
• Honor: Nicolaus August Otto Award presented by Deutz AG (2022)
• Honor: Baron Hilton Award of the Living Legends of Aviation (2022)
• Honor: Master’s Medal from the Honourable Company of Air Pilots (2022)
• Honor: Segrave Trophy from the Royal Automobile Club (2023)

Net Worth

Zara Rutherford’s current net worth estimations is around $500,000.

Social Media

• Instagram: @fly.zolo
• Twitter/X: @fly_zolo
• TikTok: @zara.rutherford
• YouTube: FlyZolo channel

Books

• I Flew Around the World