Posted on 01/31/2015 3:49:09 AM PST by WhiskeyX
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. | The pilots of a helium-filled balloon flying across the Pacific Ocean surpassed a duration record Friday by spending more than 138 hours in the air, marking a historic day for the team that already has eclipsed a distance milestone as they approach North America.
Pilots Troy Bradley of Albuquerque and Leonid Tiukhtyaev (too-kh-TY'-yev) of Russia were headed south along the California coast when they surpassed the duration record of 137 hours, 5 minutes and 50 seconds aloft in a traditional gas balloon.
The pair launched from Saga, Japan, shortly before 6:30 a.m. Sunday Japan time, eclipsed the distance record of 5,209 miles Thursday and are expected to land in Mexico early Saturday.
The duration milestone is considered the "holy grail" of ballooning. It was set in 1978 when Ben Abruzzo, Maxie Anderson and Larry Newman made the first trans-Atlantic balloon flight.
(Excerpt) Read more at rapidcityjournal.com ...
I could have sworn there was a "round the earth" flight that was longer than 5200 miles.
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