Konyukhov together with aeronautics sport master Ivan Menyailo, made the trip in the largest hot air balloon, which was constructed in Russia, with the intention to set a new world record for a non-stop flight in a hot air balloon.
The expedition started around 9:00 on Tuesday morning from South Rybinsk airport. The task was to stay in the air for longer than 51 hours.
At 12:12 Moscow time, the travelers reported that the world record had been broken as they had flown in a balloon for over 55 hours 15 minutes. However, the expedition did not stop there.
“A new world record has been set: 55 hours 15 minutes. The previous set record has been exceeded by 4 hours 37 minutes. The distance traveled is 1029 kilometers,” an official statement on the website dedicated to Konyukhov’s expedition read.
During the flight the balloon flew at a height of 190 to 300 meters, depending on the wind velocity and reached speeds of 10 to 40 kilometers per hour.
The previous world record for the duration of a non-stop flight in a hot air balloon was set by Japanese pilots Michio Kanda and Hirazuki Takezava on February 1, 1997. The crew flew from Canada and landed in the United States.
