The 19-year-old left Kortrijk, Belgium, on August 18, in her Shark Ultralight single-engine airplane, flying west for what will be a nearly 60,000-kilometer journey.  

Her trip will take her across the Atlantic Ocean, then down the east coast of the US to South America. She'll then fly back up to Alaska and across to Russia, East and Central Asia, and then the Middle East before returning to Belgium on November 4.  She'll also get breaks, including 70 planned stops and 19 rest days. She will fly over 52 countries. 

Currently, the youngest female pilot to fly solo around the world in a single-engine plane is Shaesta Waiz, who completed the trip in 2017 when she was 30.  Travis Ludlow was 18 when he broke the record as the youngest male to make the trip in 2021.

According to the International Society of Women Airline Pilots, only about 5% of airline pilots around the world are female, which Rutherford hopes can change.  Rutherford told CNN that 5% is "such a small number." 

She also said, "It's an amazing career with amazing opportunities." During her stops in different countries, Rutherford plans to meet with schools and young people to bring more visibility to aviation among girls.  Rutherford started flying when she was 14. Both her parents are also pilots, which has given her many opportunities to practice flying.  After Rutherford finishes her trip, she'll start university, where she plans to study computer science or computer engineering.