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Manila Bulletin

Philippines

EXCLUSIVE: Eyeing Guinness record, teen Belgian lady pilot lands at Clark Airport

Philippines

EXCLUSIVE: Eyeing Guinness record, teen Belgian lady pilot lands at Clark Airport

By Shirley Matias Pizarro

CLARK INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, Pampanga â€” Zara Rutherford, the 19-year old Belgian who hopes to set a new world record on circumnavigating the globe, landed at Clark International Airport today, Dec. 15 from Taipei.

The Clark stop was supposedly to briefly refuel before she heads out to Dumaguete City and Kota Kinabalu.

19-year-old Belgian pilot Zara Rutherford waves at a Manila Bulletin correspondent as soon as she landed at Clark Airport. (Exclusive photo by Shirley Matias Pizarro/Manila Bulletin)

But because of the increment weather brought about by typhoon Odette, the young pilot had to adjust her plans at the last minute and decided to stay overnight at a hotel in Clark.

Manila Bulletin interviewed her just outside the gates of the hangar at Clark Airport where she parked her tiny aircraft.

Rutherford informed the Bulletin that she will decide when to depart for Dumaguete in the morning, depending on the weather information that she will obtain in the next few hours.

Rutherford is being assisted by Angeles City Flying Club led by owner Tonet Rivera while she is in the Philippines.

The PNP Aviation Security Group under General Ysmael Yu and the Aviation Security Unit 3 led by Col. Cesar Gerente are providing security and police assistance to the young and brave pilot who had been flying solo for months now.

Rutherford left Belgium mid- August.

She said she hopes to complete her 57- country journey and be back home by mid-January.

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