Russian traveler Fyodor Konyukhov landed in Australia at 16:11 local time (11:11 Moscow time). About this Tape.<url> reported at the headquarters of flights.
Balloon “Morton” with the Russian pilot on Board flying 35 thousand kilometers in 11 days and six hours, crossed three oceans and three continents, and has set several world records.
First, he surpassed time result Steve Fossett, who made a round the world flight in a balloon in 2002 for 13 days and eight hours. Second, it increased the distance of the circular route a thousand miles, having made the longest solo flight around the world. Third, the Russian traveler was launched the first time, unlike Fossett, who took six attempts.
Photo: GK Morton
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As reported from the scene, on the face of a Russian traveller abrasion, because he didn’t have time to buckle up before landing. However, it is already out of the nacelle and communicating with greeters.
July 21, bypassing the cyclone, he set the altitude record flight around the world in a balloon, rising to 10 thousand 600 meters above the Ground (the instruments in the gondola showed more than 11 thousand meters). The previous record was set Fossett, the maximum altitude which amounted to 10 thousand 200 meters.
During the flight on the balloon due to the difficult weather conditions several times failed equipment. On July 17 he was in the area of strong turbulence with zero visibility, and then down came the valve to bleed excess pressure in the helium tank. The pilot had on an emergency basis to step out of the gondola and do it manually. July 20, after passage of a cyclone with hail and strong winds, the gondola refused heater and three burner froze and stopped running.
On 21 July, the ball again went to the low-pressure zone, he had to gain altitude and began to demolish to the South pole. “The height of 10 to 300 meters. Temperature -40. The oven does not work. Appliances are all in frost. The stationary terminal froze. Keep in the bosom handheld satellite phone Iridium calling on it. Go around the edge of the clouds, to fall can’t. Drags in Antarctica. Waiting for wind shear to start up to Australia,” the message received at the headquarters that day.
Russian traveler was launched on 12 July at 02:30 GMT from the town of Northam in Western Australia.
