The hot air balloon was the first manned flying machine to ever successfully finish a flight back in the late 18th century, and since then, it has captured the imaginations of people who dreamed of seeing the world from higher than ever before.
And even though one of the first hot air balloon flights rose more than 600 meters in the air, flying over 2 miles in the process, the hot air balloon enthusiasts that followed were able to accomplish much greater feats.
In fact, some of the flights produced extraordinary results that pushed the capabilities of hot air balloons and their pilots to the very limits.
So, let’s find out about the most incredible flights in history and learn about what made them possible.
Vijaypat Singhania – November 26th, 2005, India - 69,850 feet
The highest that most hot air balloons are allowed to rise today is 3,000 feet, but even though that is standard procedure, there are those that want to see what a balloon could be capable of if it were allowed to reach its maximum potential.
So, on November 26th, 2005, Vijaypat Singhania took on a mission to break the record of the highest hot air balloon flight when he took off in a specially-designed balloon in Bombay, India.
The balloon that he used was called Envelope and was 160 feet high. It was designed by Don Cameron, one of the most prominent hot air balloon developers and producers in the world.
Envelope reached an altitude of 69,850 feet and eventually landed safely 150 miles south of Bombay, in a town called Panchale, breaking the record that’s still standing today.
To ensure the balloonist's safety, a helicopter was accompanying it throughout the ascent and helped to prepare for the landing. The balloon was also modified to provide all the necessary devices for keeping the balloonist safe.
Per Lindstrand – October 24th, 2014, United States – 64,997 feet
Before the highest hot air balloon flight ever of Vijaypat Singhania in India, Per Lindstrand was able to achieve an excellent result himself, rising to over 64,000 feet to the air in Plano, Texas.
Hot air balloons were Lindstrand's life-long passion, and he was aiming to push the limits of how high a balloon could rise.
He succeeded, as his result was the at-the-time world record, and even though it got beaten a couple of decades later, the height he was able to reach is still spectacular and not that much lower than the current hot air balloon record.
What’s more, he holds numerous other hot air balloon records for distance and duration that have made him one of the most important names in hot air balloon history.
We already covered the highest flight using hot air, but it’s important to take a look at the helium-filled balloon world records as well, since it uses the same ascension principle, even though the helium gas does make it easier, since it’s already lighter than air.
The flight that took place in New Mexico was able to reach heights of 25 miles, which is way higher than the altitude that most planes fly at, and is high enough to be considered the stratosphere.
The balloonist used a specially-designed life support suit that helped him withstand the harsh conditions, and he was able to safely land after spending around 30 minutes at the highest altitude.
His freefall lasted for almost five minutes, and it broke the sound barrier, so it was an extraordinary feat all around, even though it didn’t use a hot air balloon to make it happen and so didn’t break the hot air balloon records.
Per Lindstrand – January 15th, 1991, Japan to Canada, 4,767 miles
If the name Per Lindstrand sounds familiar, that’s because we’ve already talked about him in the previous section – he was the one that held the hot air balloon altitude record for almost 20 years.
But that wasn’t his only achievement – he was also part of the first ever trans-Pacific balloon flight together with the eccentric billionaire Richard Branson.
They took off with the custom-designed ‘Virgin Pacific Flyer’ balloon in Japan and traveled more than 4,700 miles before finally descending in Northern Canada.
The balloon’s envelope was the largest ever built and encompassed a staggering 2.6 million cubic feet, and it was able to reach the highest ever ground speed for a manned balloon, clocking in a max speed of 245 miles per hour.
Bertrand Piccard – March 1st, 1999, Switzerland to Egypt (around the world), ~25,000 miles
The longest hot air balloon flight ever recorded was that by a Swiss psychiatrist and balloonist Bertrand Piccard, together with Briton Brian Jones, who were able to go around the world in just 20 days using the Breitling Orbiter 3 balloon.
It was the first-ever nonstop trip around the globe by a balloon, leaving from Switzerland on March 1st, 1999, and returning just 20 days later to a desert near Cairo, after circumventing the entire globe.
As you can imagine, this feat completely obliterated all previous records and remains one of the most significant accomplishments in balloon history.
Steve Fossett – July 1st, 2002, Australia to Australia, 20,482.26 statute miles
Steve Fossett is another crucial figure in the history of hot air balloons – he was the first person ever to travel around the entire globe on a solo balloon flight.
In just 14 days, which was still the longest balloon flight when flying solo, he was able to travel more than 20,000 miles and land safely back in Australia, forever immortalizing himself in the history books of hot air balloons and adding to his impressive list of aviation achievements.
His balloon, called The Spirit of Freedom, used both hot air and helium and used a balloon envelope that was 140 feet tall and 60 feet wide.
There was even a specially-designed autopilot system that allowed him to take short sleeping breaks, helping him push through the 14 difficult days and achieve the incredible feat of staying in the air alone for so long.
Ready to take an adventure of your own? There’s no better way to do it than trying hot air balloons for yourself, give us a call at 800-253-2224 or book a flight today!
