Russian adventurer scales new heights with record balloon flight

A cold and exhausted 65-year-old Russian balloonist came back to Earth with a bruising thud in the Australian Outback on Saturday after claiming a new world record by flying solo around the world nonstop in 11 days, officials said.

Fedor Konyukhov landed 160 km east of Northam, where he started his journey on July 12, about three hours after he flew over the same town on his return, flight coordinator John Wallington said.
“He’s landed, he’s safe, he’s sound, he’s happy,” Wallington said from the landing site. “It’s just amazing.”
“It’s fantastic — the record’s broken, everyone’s safe. It’s all good,” he added.
Konyukhov’s gondola — a carbon box 2 meters high, 2 meters long and 1.8 meters wide — bounced twice over 200 meters in an empty field and tipped on its side before the support crew grabbed it to prevent the deflating balloon from dragging it farther, crew member Steve Griffin said.
“He’s got a bruise on his cheek, but he’s pretty well unscathed,” Griffin said.
Video of the landing showed Konyukhov smiling but silent as he emerged from the gondola. He stroked his bearded left cheek and wiped his eyes as he was hugged and cheered by supporters.
Konyukhov flew by helicopter back to Northam, where his first shower in 11 days was a priority, Griffin said.
Konyukhov demonstrated precision navigation of his 56-meter-tall helium and hot-air balloon by returning to Australia directly over the west coast city of Perth, then over the airfield at Northam, 96 km to the east by road.
American businessman Steve Fossett also started from Northam to set a record of 13 days, 8 hours for his 33,000-km journey in 2002.
Konyukhov, a Russian Orthodox priest, took a longer route and roughly 11 days, 6 hours to complete the circumnavigation.
Crews in six helicopters followed the 1.6-metric-ton balloon from Northam inland to help him land.
His journey of more than 34,000 km took him through a thunder storm in the Antarctic Circle, where temperatures outside the gondola fell to minus-50 degrees Celsius (minus-58 Fahrenheit).

Source: Arab News