How Far and How High Can a Hot Air Balloon Fly? Records and Passenger Flights
Many of our passengers ask us: how far can a hot air balloon fly? How high can it go?
To answer these questions, we need to look at things in context. First of all, passenger hot air balloon flights are carefully planned, with safety as the top priority and a set flight time. That is why passenger flights only take place in the best conditions, and every passenger balloon carries twice the fuel needed for the planned flight time.
Hot air balloon records are a different matter altogether: there, the aim is always to push the limits.
The organisation that sets the rules for controlling and certifying world aeronautical records is the FAI (Fédération Aéronautique Internationale) – www.fai.org
FAI hot air balloon records
For balloons, the FAI sets 4 record categories:
– Altitude
– Distance
– Duration
– Fastest time around the world
Each category is divided into sub-classes depending on the type of balloon:
- Gas
- Mixed
- Pressurised
- Hot air
Each sub-class is in turn divided into ranges according to the size of the balloons used. In addition, each of these has an overall classification and a women’s classification.
Hot air balloon world records
To keep the list short and stay close to the original questions, here are some of the most remarkable records set with hot air balloons, the type we use for our passengers:
- The altitude record for a hot air balloon was set by Indian pilot Vijaypat Singhania on 26 November 2005 – 21,027 m.
- The highest altitude reached by a woman in a hot air balloon was achieved by Austrian pilot Heidrun Prosch on 19 August 2002, at 10,773 m.
- The longest distance flown in a hot air balloon was set by Per Axel Lindstrand on 15 January 1991, covering 7,671.91 km from Japan to Canada.
- The women’s distance record in a hot air balloon belongs to Karen L. Gould, with a flight of 736.79 km on 19 February 1994.
- The longest-duration flights are held, overall, by Japan’s Michio Kanda with a flight of 50 h 38 min, and, among women, by Britain’s Lindsay Muir, with a flight of 19 h 07 min 55 s on 21 May 2000.
If you want a unique experience and simply enjoy a hot air balloon flight, get in touch with us at www.EoloFLY.com
Or call us directly:
677 996 404
