Tuesday, June 1, 2010
Longest
Cluster Balloon Flight
- world record set by
Jonathan Trappe
North Carolina, USA -- American daredevil Jonathan Trappe
, 36, covered more than 109 miles in
an overnight flight which lasted almost 14 hours over North
Carolina, his home state, in his confection of balloons christened The Spirit Cluster
- setting the new world record for
the Longest
Cluster Balloon Flight
.
Photo: During the World's
Longest Cluster Balloon Flight
Jonathan jettisons
some water from one of his ballast bags. Photo by Jim Koepnick
( enlarge
photo
)
Since 1937, when the first cluster balloonist
went into the skies, no one has ever launched in the daylight
and remained aloft all night, greeting the dawn from the skies
the following morning.
For this world record for the Longest
Cluster Balloon Flight
he had gracious participation
from members of EAA Chapter 1114, plus members of the Wings
of Carolina flying club.
“You need a team to help you set up and
fly, and somebody on the ground always has to chase you or
you end up walking home,” Jonathan explained.
“Ballooning also involves your community
because from above you become very aware of things going on
down below. You start to connect to the topography, you see
the development that’s occurring and witness the agricultural
cycles. It’s a great way to become connected to wherever you
fly.”
Jonathan says hot-air ballooning is something
anyone can do safely with the appropriate training, noting
his certification from the Federal Aviation Administration
(FAA).
Links: Photo
gallery of the Longest Cluster Balloon Flight
Jonathan
Trappe's ClusterBalloon.com
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Related world records
:
Longest
distance flight in a helium balloon-world record set by David
Hempleman
Longest
distance flown in an autogyro - Norman Surplus sets world
record
Fastest
coast to coast round trip -world record set by US pilots
Fastest
team flight around the world - Swiss Pilots sets world record
Fastest
transcontinental flight in a LSA-world record set by Matt
Hansen and Jessica Scharle
Fastest
vertical circumnavigation-Adrian Flanagan sets world record
Tuesday, June 1, 2010