04:27Above the competition! Russian adventurers break world record for longest hot air balloon flight
Adventurer Fedor Konyukhov set himself the ambitious goal of breaking two world records for hot-air ballooning in terms of distance and duration - and succeeded. The Russian explorer alongside the president of the Russian Balloon Federation Ivan Menyailo performed the longest non-stop flight in a 'PhosAgro' hot air balloon.
Footage published on Sunday shows Konyukhov and Menyailo's team preparing the balloon for the flight, embarking on the journey and dismantling equipment after landing on the airfield.
Konyukhov shared his impressions of the preparations for the event and noted that 'PhosAgro' had produced a unique, and the largest aerostat in the history of Russian aeronautics.
"We have a great tradition of aeronautics in Russia, in the Soviet Union. We have never sewn such a big balloon in our country - 12 thousand cubic metres, [before] all the balloons were ordered abroad. Now we are proud [of it], and I am grateful to Russia, to the people who were able to build and prepare 12 thousand cubic 'PhosAgro' balloon for flight," he said.
Konyukhov said that the flight started on March 24 in the city of Kirovsk, Murmansk Region, and ended on March 26 at 03:24 Moscow time at the Khatanga airfield in the Krasnoyarsk Territory. The travellers flew over the skies of the Murmansk and Arkhangelsk Regions, the Nenets and Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Districts, the Krasnoyarsk Territory and the Putorana Plateau, known for its severe weather conditions.
After the aircraft landed, the record holder shared details of the journey on his Telegram channel.
"During the transcontinental flight, hot air balloon of 'PhosAgro' […] covered a distance of 2,540 kilometres, 174 kilometres more than the previous world record of 1994, which belonged to Japanese pilot Michio Kanda. Thus, both world records - for the distance and duration of a non-stop hot air balloon flight - belong to Russia," the man shared.
Previously, Konyukhov set an absolute world record in aeronautics - he achieved the fastest flight around the world in a hot-air balloon. In preparation for their around-the-world flight, Konyukhov and Menyailo set two world records: 32 hours followed by a 55 hour-, non-stop flight in a hot-air balloon.
04:27Mandatory credit: Expedition headquarters for Fedor Konyukhov's transcontinental flight on 'FosAgro' hot air balloon
Adventurer Fedor Konyukhov set himself the ambitious goal of breaking two world records for hot-air ballooning in terms of distance and duration - and succeeded. The Russian explorer alongside the president of the Russian Balloon Federation Ivan Menyailo performed the longest non-stop flight in a 'PhosAgro' hot air balloon.
Footage published on Sunday shows Konyukhov and Menyailo's team preparing the balloon for the flight, embarking on the journey and dismantling equipment after landing on the airfield.
Konyukhov shared his impressions of the preparations for the event and noted that 'PhosAgro' had produced a unique, and the largest aerostat in the history of Russian aeronautics.
"We have a great tradition of aeronautics in Russia, in the Soviet Union. We have never sewn such a big balloon in our country - 12 thousand cubic metres, [before] all the balloons were ordered abroad. Now we are proud [of it], and I am grateful to Russia, to the people who were able to build and prepare 12 thousand cubic 'PhosAgro' balloon for flight," he said.
Konyukhov said that the flight started on March 24 in the city of Kirovsk, Murmansk Region, and ended on March 26 at 03:24 Moscow time at the Khatanga airfield in the Krasnoyarsk Territory. The travellers flew over the skies of the Murmansk and Arkhangelsk Regions, the Nenets and Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Districts, the Krasnoyarsk Territory and the Putorana Plateau, known for its severe weather conditions.
After the aircraft landed, the record holder shared details of the journey on his Telegram channel.
"During the transcontinental flight, hot air balloon of 'PhosAgro' […] covered a distance of 2,540 kilometres, 174 kilometres more than the previous world record of 1994, which belonged to Japanese pilot Michio Kanda. Thus, both world records - for the distance and duration of a non-stop hot air balloon flight - belong to Russia," the man shared.
Previously, Konyukhov set an absolute world record in aeronautics - he achieved the fastest flight around the world in a hot-air balloon. In preparation for their around-the-world flight, Konyukhov and Menyailo set two world records: 32 hours followed by a 55 hour-, non-stop flight in a hot-air balloon.