Flight altitude record
Encyclopedia
These are the records set for going the highest in the atmosphere from the age of balloon
ing onward. Some records are certified by Fédération Aéronautique Internationale
.
The highest altitude obtained in a piston-driven propeller aeroplane (without a payload) was 17083 m (56,047 ft) on October 22, 1938 by Mario Pezzi
at Montecelio, Italy in a Caproni Ca.161
driven by a Piaggio XI R.C. engine.
The highest altitude for horizontal flight without a payload is 14301 m (46,919 ft) set on November 15, 2003 by Bruce Bohannan flying his Bohannon B-1 driven by a Mattituck/Lycoming IO-540 (350 hp) engine over Angleton, Texas.
M), on 31 August 1977.
The highest altitude obtained by a rocket propelled aeroplane (self-launched—i.e. not launched from another aircraft) was 24217 m (79,452 ft) on May 2, 1958 by Roger Carpentier over Istres, France in a Sud-Ouest Trident II aircraft.
helicopter
to an absolute altitude record of 12,442 meters (40,814 ft). At the extreme altitude the engine flamed out
and the helicopter had to be (safely) landed via another record breaker — the longest-ever autorotation
in history.
The helicopter had been stripped of all unnecessary equipment prior to the flight to minimize its weight and the pilot was breathing supplemental oxygen.
On November 26, 2005, Vijaypat Singhania
set the world altitude record for highest hot air balloon flight, reaching 21290 m (69,849.1 ft). He took off from downtown Bombay, India
and landed 240 km (149.1 mi) south in Panchale. The previous record of 19811 m (64,996.7 ft) had been set by Per Lindstrand
on June 6, 1988 in Plano, Texas
.
The U.S. (and for a while, the world) altitude record for unmanned balloons was 51.8 km (169,947.5 ft) (according to a 1991 edition of Guinness Book of World Records). The vehicle was a Winzen-Balloon with a volume of 1.35 million cubic metres, which was launched in October 1972 in Chico, California
, USA.
In 2002 an ultra-thin-film balloon named BU60-1 made of polyethylene
film 3.4 µm thick with a volume of 60,000 m³ was launched from Sanriku Balloon Center at 6:35 on May 23, 2002. The balloon ascended at a speed of 260 m per minute and successfully reached the altitude of 53 km (173,884.5 ft), breaking the previous world world record set in 1972.
(pilot) and Einar Enevoldson
(co-pilot) in their high performance research glider
, breaking the previous record by 1662 ft (506.6 m). This record was set as part of the Perlan Project
. The previous record was 49009 ft (14,937.9 m) on February 17, 1986 by Robert Harris in lee waves over California City, USA.
Balloon (aircraft)
A balloon is a type of aircraft that remains aloft due to its buoyancy. A balloon travels by moving with the wind. It is distinct from an airship, which is a buoyant aircraft that can be propelled through the air in a controlled manner....
ing onward. Some records are certified by Fédération Aéronautique Internationale
Fédération Aéronautique Internationale
The Fédération Aéronautique Internationale is the world governing body for air sports and aeronautics and astronautics world records. Its head office is in Lausanne, Switzerland. This includes man-carrying aerospace vehicles from balloons to spacecraft, and unmanned aerial vehicles...
.
Fixed-wing aircraft
| Year | Date | Altitude | Person | Aircraft | Power | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| imperial | metric | ||||||
| 1903 | December 17 | 10 ft | 3 m | Wilbur Wright, Orville Wright | Wright Flyer Wright Flyer The Wright Flyer was the first powered aircraft, designed and built by the Wright brothers. They flew it four times on December 17, 1903 near the Kill Devil Hills, about four miles south of Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, U.S.The U.S... |
propeller | Photographed and witnessed unofficially. |
| 1906 | October 23 | 10 | 3 | Alberto Santos-Dumont Alberto Santos-Dumont Alberto Santos-Dumont , was a Brazilian early pioneer of aviation. The heir of a wealthy family of coffee producers, Santos Dumont dedicated himself to science studies in Paris, France, where he spent most of his adult life.... |
14-bis | propeller | First officially witnessed and certified flight. |
| 1906 | November 12 | 13 | 4 | Alberto Santos-Dumont Alberto Santos-Dumont Alberto Santos-Dumont , was a Brazilian early pioneer of aviation. The heir of a wealthy family of coffee producers, Santos Dumont dedicated himself to science studies in Paris, France, where he spent most of his adult life.... |
14-bis | propeller | |
| 1908 | December 18 | 360 | 109.7 | Wilbur Wright | Biplane | propeller | at Auovors |
| 1909 | July | 492 | 150 | Louis Paulhan Louis Paulhan Isidore Auguste Marie Louis Paulhan, known as Louis Paulhan, was a pioneering French aviator who in 1910 flew "Le Canard", the world's first seaplane, designed by Henri Fabre.... |
Farman Farman Farman Aviation Works was an aeronautic enterprise founded and run by the brothers; Richard, Henri, and Maurice Farman. They designed and constructed aircraft and engines from 1908 until 1936; during the French nationalization and rationalization of its aerospace industry, Farman's assets were... |
propeller | Douai Air Show |
| 1909 | 3018 | 919.9 | Louis Paulhan | Farman | propeller | Lyon | |
| 1910 | January 9 | 4164 | 1,269.2 | Louis Paulhan | Farman | propeller | Los Angeles air meet |
| 1910 | June 17 | 4603 | 1,403 | Walter Brookins | Wright biplane | propeller | |
| 1910 | October 30 | 8471 | 2,582 | Ralph Johnstone Ralph Johnstone Ralph Johnstone was a pioneering early aviator who died in a crash.-Biography:He was born in Kansas City, Missouri in 1886. He started as a vaudeville trick bicycle rider. With a signature finale of performing a mid-air forward somersault. He became a Wright exhibition team pilot... |
Wright biplane | propeller | International Aviation Tournament was at the Belmont Park Belmont Park Belmont Park is a major thoroughbred horse-racing facility located in Elmont in the Town of Hempstead in Nassau County, New York, on Long Island adjoining New York City. It first opened on May 4, 1905... race track in Elmont, New York Elmont, New York Elmont is an unincorporated census-designated place located in the northwest corner of the Town of Hempstead in Nassau County, New York, along its border with the borough of Queens in New York City... |
| 1915 | January 5 | 11950 | 3,642.4 | Joseph Eugene Carberry | ? | propeller | |
| 1920 | February 27 | 33113 | 10,092.8 | Major Rudolf Schroeder | LUSAC-11 Packard-Le Peré LUSAC-11 |-References:* . Flight 4 March 1920, p. 265.* Angelucci, Enzo and Peter M. Bowers. The American Fighter. Sparkford, UK:Haynes Publishing Group, 1987. ISBN 0-85429-635-2.* . Flight, 7 February 1924, pp. 73–75.... |
propeller | |
| 1921 | September 18 | 34508 | 10,518 | Lieutenant John Arthur Macready John Arthur Macready John Arthur Macready was an American test pilot and aviator. He was the only three-time recipient of the Mackay Trophy, receiving the trophy three consecutive years.-History:... |
LUSAC-11 | propeller | |
| 1930 | June 4 | 43168 | 13,157.6 | Lieutenant Apollo Soucek Apollo Soucek Apollo Soucek was a vice admiral in the United States Navy, who was a record-breaking test pilot during 1929-1930, served in World War II, and was commander of Carrier Division Three during the Korean War, ending his career as Chief of the Bureau of Aeronautics.-Biography:Soucek was born in... , USN |
Wright Apache | propeller | |
| 1932 | September 16 | 43976 | 13,403.9 | Cyril Unwins | Vickers Vespa Vickers Vespa |-See also:*Aerial operations in the Chaco War-Bibliography:* Andrews, C.F. and Morgan, Eric B. Vickers Aircraft since 1908, Second edition. London: Putnam, 1988. ISBN 0-85177-815-1.... |
propeller | |
| 1933 | September 28 | 44819 | 13,660.8 | Gustave Lemoine | Potez 50 | propeller | |
| 1934 | April 11 | 47354 | 14,433.5 | Renato Donati | Caproni Ca.113 Caproni Ca.113 |-See also:... |
propeller | |
| 1936 | September 28 | 49967 | 15,229.9 | Squadron Leader Francis Ronald Swain | Bristol Type 138 Bristol Type 138 |-See also:-References:NotesBibliography* Barnes, C.H. Bristol Aircraft since 1910. London: Putnam, 1964.* Thetford, Owen. Aircraft of the Royal Air Force 1918-57, 1st edition. London: Putnam, 1957.... |
propeller | |
| 1938 | June 30 | 53937 | 16,440 | M. J. Adam | Bristol Type 138 | propeller | |
| 1938 | October 22 | 56850 | 17,327.9 | Lieutenant Colonel Mario Pezzi Mario Pezzi Mario Pezzi was an Italian aviator known worldwide for his flight in which he achieved greater height than any other pilot in a propeller-powered airplane.- Biography :... |
Caproni Ca.161 Caproni Ca.161 |-See also:... |
manned propeller record to date | |
| 1953 | May 4 | 63668 | 19,406 | Walter Frame Gibb | English Electric Canberra English Electric Canberra The English Electric Canberra is a first-generation jet-powered light bomber manufactured in large numbers through the 1950s. The Canberra could fly at a higher altitude than any other bomber through the 1950s and set a world altitude record of 70,310 ft in 1957... B.2 |
Turbojet | fitted with two Rolls-Royce Olympus Rolls-Royce Olympus The Rolls-Royce Olympus was one of the world's first two-spool axial-flow turbojet aircraft engines, originally developed and produced by Bristol Aero Engines. First running in 1950, its initial use was as the powerplant of the Avro Vulcan V Bomber... engines. |
| 1953 | Dec 12 | 74200 | 22,616.2 | Charles Elwood "Chuck" Yeager | Bell X-1A Bell X-1 The Bell X-1, originally designated XS-1, was a joint NACA-U.S. Army/US Air Force supersonic research project built by Bell Aircraft. Conceived in 1944 and designed and built over 1945, it eventually reached nearly 1,000 mph in 1948... |
Payload Deployed Rocket Plane | Powered by the XLR-11 liquid fuel rocket engine. |
| 1955 | August 29 | 65876 | 20,079 | Walter Frame Gibb | English Electric Canberra B.2 | Turbojet | Olympus powered. |
| 1957 | August 28 | 70310 | 21,430.5 | Mike Randrup | English Electric Canberra B.2 | Turbojet/rocket | with Scorpion Rocket Motor |
| 1960 | December 13 | 91419 | 27,864.5 | Commander Leroy Heath as pilot and Lieutenant Larry Monroe Larry Monroe Lawrence James Monroe was a pitcher in Major League Baseball. He played for the Chicago White Sox in 1976.-External links:... as bombardier and navigator |
North American Aviation North American Aviation North American Aviation was a major US aerospace manufacturer, responsible for a number of historic aircraft, including the T-6 Texan trainer, the P-51 Mustang fighter, the B-25 Mitchell bomber, the F-86 Sabre jet fighter, the X-15 rocket plane, and the XB-70, as well as Apollo Command and Service... A-5 Vigilante A-5 Vigilante The North American A-5 Vigilante was a carrier-based supersonic bomber designed for the United States Navy. Its service in the nuclear strike role to replace the A-3 Skywarrior was very short; however, as the RA-5C, it saw extensive service during the Vietnam War in the tactical strike... |
Turbojet | |
| 1962 | July 17 | 59.6 | 95.9 | Robert Michael White | X-15 North American X-15 The North American X-15 rocket-powered aircraft/spaceplane was part of the X-series of experimental aircraft, initiated with the Bell X-1, that were made for the USAAF/USAF, NACA/NASA, and the USN. The X-15 set speed and altitude records in the early 1960s, reaching the edge of outer space and... |
rocket | |
| 1963 | July 19 | 65.8 | 105.9 | Joseph Albert Walker | X-15 North American X-15 The North American X-15 rocket-powered aircraft/spaceplane was part of the X-series of experimental aircraft, initiated with the Bell X-1, that were made for the USAAF/USAF, NACA/NASA, and the USN. The X-15 set speed and altitude records in the early 1960s, reaching the edge of outer space and... |
rocket | |
| 1963 | August 22 | 66.9 | 107.7 | Joseph Albert Walker | X-15 North American X-15 The North American X-15 rocket-powered aircraft/spaceplane was part of the X-series of experimental aircraft, initiated with the Bell X-1, that were made for the USAAF/USAF, NACA/NASA, and the USN. The X-15 set speed and altitude records in the early 1960s, reaching the edge of outer space and... |
rocket | |
| 1973 | July 25 | 108720 | 33.1 | A. Fedotov | Russian Ye-155 Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-25 The Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-25 is a supersonic interceptor and reconnaissance aircraft that was among the fastest military aircraft to enter service. Designed by the Soviet Union's Mikoyan-Gurevich bureau the first prototype flew in 1964 with entry into service in 1970... |
Jet plane record | Under Federation Aeronautique Internationale (FAI) classification the Ye-155 type Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-25 The Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-25 is a supersonic interceptor and reconnaissance aircraft that was among the fastest military aircraft to enter service. Designed by the Soviet Union's Mikoyan-Gurevich bureau the first prototype flew in 1964 with entry into service in 1970... |
| 1977 | August 31 | 123520 | 37.6 | A. Fedotov | Russian Ye-155 Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-25 The Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-25 is a supersonic interceptor and reconnaissance aircraft that was among the fastest military aircraft to enter service. Designed by the Soviet Union's Mikoyan-Gurevich bureau the first prototype flew in 1964 with entry into service in 1970... |
Jet plane record | Under Federation Aeronautique Internationale (FAI) classification the Ye-155 type Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-25 The Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-25 is a supersonic interceptor and reconnaissance aircraft that was among the fastest military aircraft to enter service. Designed by the Soviet Union's Mikoyan-Gurevich bureau the first prototype flew in 1964 with entry into service in 1970... |
| 2001 | August 14 | 96863 | 29.5 | Unmanned | NASA Helios HP01 | propeller | solar-electric aircraft — record for non-rocket plane |
| 2004 | October 4 | 69.6 | 112 | Brian Binnie Brian Binnie William Brian Binnie is a former United States Navy officer and is one of the test pilots for SpaceShipOne, the experimental spaceplane developed by Scaled Composites.-History:... |
SpaceShipOne | rocket plane | |
Piston-driven propeller aeroplane
The highest altitude obtained by a piston-driven propeller UAV (without payload) is 67,028 ft. It was obtained in 1988-1989 by the Boeing Condor UAV.The highest altitude obtained in a piston-driven propeller aeroplane (without a payload) was 17083 m (56,047 ft) on October 22, 1938 by Mario Pezzi
Mario Pezzi
Mario Pezzi was an Italian aviator known worldwide for his flight in which he achieved greater height than any other pilot in a propeller-powered airplane.- Biography :...
at Montecelio, Italy in a Caproni Ca.161
Caproni Ca.161
|-See also:...
driven by a Piaggio XI R.C. engine.
The highest altitude for horizontal flight without a payload is 14301 m (46,919 ft) set on November 15, 2003 by Bruce Bohannan flying his Bohannon B-1 driven by a Mattituck/Lycoming IO-540 (350 hp) engine over Angleton, Texas.
Jet plane
The highest current world absolute general aviation altitude record -General Aviation World Records- achieved by a manned air-breathing jet propelled aircraft is 37,650 meters (123,523 feet) set by Alexandr Fedotov, in a Mikoyan Gurevitch E-266M (MiG-25Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-25
The Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-25 is a supersonic interceptor and reconnaissance aircraft that was among the fastest military aircraft to enter service. Designed by the Soviet Union's Mikoyan-Gurevich bureau the first prototype flew in 1964 with entry into service in 1970...
M), on 31 August 1977.
Rocket plane
The highest altitude obtained by a manned aeroplane (launched from another aircraft) is 111996 m (367,441 ft) by Brian Binnie in the Scaled Composites SpaceShipOne (powered by a Scaled Composite SD-010 engine with 18,000 lb of thrust) on 4 October 2004 at Mojave, CA. The previous (unofficial) record was 107960 m (354,199 ft) set by Joseph A. Walker in an X-15 on August 22, 1963.The highest altitude obtained by a rocket propelled aeroplane (self-launched—i.e. not launched from another aircraft) was 24217 m (79,452 ft) on May 2, 1958 by Roger Carpentier over Istres, France in a Sud-Ouest Trident II aircraft.
Rotorcraft
On June 21, 1972, Jean Boulet of France piloted an Aérospatiale LamaAérospatiale Lama
|-See also:-External links:...
helicopter
Helicopter
A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which lift and thrust are supplied by one or more engine-driven rotors. This allows the helicopter to take off and land vertically, to hover, and to fly forwards, backwards, and laterally...
to an absolute altitude record of 12,442 meters (40,814 ft). At the extreme altitude the engine flamed out
Flameout
A flameout refers to the failure of a jet engine caused by the extinction of the flame in the combustion chamber. It can be caused by a number of factors, including fuel exhaustion; compressor stall; insufficient oxygen supply; foreign object damage ; severe inclement weather; and mechanical...
and the helicopter had to be (safely) landed via another record breaker — the longest-ever autorotation
Autorotation
In aviation, autorotation refers to processes in both fixed-wing and rotary-wing aircraft. The term means significantly different things in each context....
in history.
The helicopter had been stripped of all unnecessary equipment prior to the flight to minimize its weight and the pilot was breathing supplemental oxygen.
All balloons
(see discussion page for correct altitude values)- 1783—August—24 m (78.7 ft); Jean-François Pilâtre de Rozier of FranceFranceThe French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, made the first ascent in a hot-air balloon. - 1783—1 December 1783—2.7 km (8,858.3 ft); Jacques Alexandre Charles and his assistant Marie-Noel Robert, both of France, made the first flight in a hydrogenHydrogenHydrogen is the chemical element with atomic number 1. It is represented by the symbol H. With an average atomic weight of , hydrogen is the lightest and most abundant chemical element, constituting roughly 75% of the Universe's chemical elemental mass. Stars in the main sequence are mainly...
balloon to about 610 m. Charles then ascended alone to the record altitude. - 1784—4 km (13,123.4 ft) Pilâtre de RozierPilâtre de RozierJean-François Pilâtre de Rozier was a French chemistry and physics teacher, and one of the first pioneers of aviation. He and the Marquis d'Arlandes made the first manned free balloon flight on 21 November 1783, in a Montgolfier balloon. He later died when his balloon crashed near Wimereux in...
and the chemist Joseph ProustJoseph ProustJoseph Louis Proust was a French chemist.-Life:Joseph L. Proust was born on September 26, 1754 in Angers, France. His father served as an apothecary in Angers. Joseph studied chemistry in his father’s shop and later came to Paris where he gained the appointment of apothecary in chief to the...
in a Montgolfier. - 1803—18 July 1803—7.28 km (23,884.5 ft) Etienne Gaspar Robertson and Lhoest in a balloon.
- 1839—7.9 km (25,918.6 ft) Charles GreenCharles Green (balloonist)Charles Green was the United Kingdom's most famous balloonist of the 19th century. He experimented with coal gas as a cheaper and more readily available alternative to hydrogen for lifting power. His first ascent was in a coal gas balloon on 19 July 1821. He became a professional balloonist and...
and Spencer Rush in a free balloon. - 1862—5 September 1862—11.887 km (38,999.3 ft)—CoxwellHenry Tracey CoxwellHenry Tracey Coxwell , was an English aeronaut. He was the son of a naval officer, educated for the army, but became a dentist. From a boy he had been greatly interested in ballooning, then in its infancy, but his own first ascent was not made until 1844...
and GlaisherJames GlaisherJames Glaisher FRS , was an English meteorologist and aeronaut.Born in Rotherhithe, the son of a London watchmaker, Glaisher was a Junior assistant at the Cambridge Observatory from 1833 to 1835 before moving to the Royal Greenwich Observatories, where he served as Superintendent of the Department...
in a balloon. Both lost consciousness during the ascent due to the low air pressure and cold temperature of -11 °C. - 1927—4 November 1927—13.222 km (43,379.3 ft)—Captain Hawthorne C. Gray of the (United States Army Air CorpsUnited States Army Air CorpsThe United States Army Air Corps was a forerunner of the United States Air Force. Renamed from the Air Service on 2 July 1926, it was part of the United States Army and the predecessor of the United States Army Air Forces , established in 1941...
) in a helium balloon. Gray dies when he exhausts his oxygen. - 1931—27 May 1931—15.787 km (51,794.6 ft)—Auguste Piccard & Paul Kipfer in a hydrogen balloon.
- 1932—16.2 km (53,149.6 ft)—Auguste PiccardAuguste PiccardAuguste Antoine Piccard was a Swiss physicist, inventor and explorer.-Biography:Piccard and his twin brother Jean Felix were born in Basel, Switzerland...
and Max CosynsMax CosynsMax Cosyns was a Belgian physicist, inventor and explorer.He was Auguste Piccard's assistant at the Université Libre de Bruxelles and on 18 August 1932 participated in the record-breaking ascent into the stratosphere to 16,200 m , launched from Dübendorf, Switzerland...
in a hydrogen balloon. - 1933 30 September—18.501 km (60,698.8 ft) USSR balloon USSR-1.
- 1933—20 November—18.592 km (60,997.4 ft) Lt. Comdr. Thomas G. W. SettleThomas G. W. SettleThomas Greenhow Williams "Tex" Settle was an officer of the United States Navy who on November 20, 1933, together with Army major Chester L. Fordney, set a world altitude record in the Century of Progress stratospheric balloon...
(USN) and Maj Chester L. Fordney (USMC) in Century of Progress balloon - 1934—30 January—21.946 km (72,001.3 ft) USSR balloon Osoaviakhim-1Osoaviakhim-1Osoaviakhim-1 was a record-setting, hydrogen-filled Soviet high-altitude balloon designed to seat a crew of three and perform scientific studies of the Earth's stratosphere. On January 30, 1934, on its maiden flight which lasted over 7 hours, the balloon reached an altitude of...
. Pilots killed in crash. - 1935—10 November—22.066 km (72,395 ft) Captain O. A. Anderson and Captain A. W. Stevens (United States Army Air CorpsUnited States Army Air CorpsThe United States Army Air Corps was a forerunner of the United States Air Force. Renamed from the Air Service on 2 July 1926, it was part of the United States Army and the predecessor of the United States Army Air Forces , established in 1941...
) ascended in the Explorer II gondola from the StratobowlStratobowlThe Stratobowl is a compact natural depression within the limits of Black Hills National Forest in South Dakota, south-west of Rapid City. In 1934–1935 it housed a stratospheric balloon launch site, initially known as Stratocamp, sponsored by the National Geographic Society and the United States...
, near Rapid City, South DakotaRapid City, South DakotaRapid City is the second-largest city in the U.S. state of South Dakota, and the county seat of Pennington County. Named after Rapid Creek on which the city is established, it is set against the eastern slope of the Black Hills mountain range. The population was 67,956 as of the 2010 Census. Rapid...
, for a flight that last 8 hours 13 minutes and covered 362 kilometres (224.9 mi). - 1956—8 November—23.165 km (76,000.7 ft) Malcolm D. RossMalcolm Ross (balloonist)Malcolm D. Ross was a Captain in the United States Naval Reserve , an atmospheric scientist, and a balloonist who set several records for altitude and scientific inquiry, with more than 100 hours flight time in gas balloons by 1961. Along with Lieutenant Commander Victor A...
and M. L. Lewis (United States NavyUnited States NavyThe United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
) in ONROffice of Naval ResearchThe Office of Naval Research , headquartered in Arlington, Virginia , is the office within the United States Department of the Navy that coordinates, executes, and promotes the science and technology programs of the U.S...
Strato-Lab I, using a pressurized gondola and plastic balloon developed by Winzen Research, taking off near Rapid City, South DakotaRapid City, South DakotaRapid City is the second-largest city in the U.S. state of South Dakota, and the county seat of Pennington County. Named after Rapid Creek on which the city is established, it is set against the eastern slope of the Black Hills mountain range. The population was 67,956 as of the 2010 Census. Rapid...
, and landing 282 km (175.2 mi) away near Kennedy, Nebraska. - 1957—2 June—29.4997 km (96,783.8 ft) Captain Joseph W. KittingerJoseph KittingerJoseph William Kittinger II is a former Command Pilot and career military officer in the United States Air Force. He is most famous for his participation in Project Manhigh and Project Excelsior, holding the records for having the highest, fastest and longest skydive, from a height greater than...
(United States Air ForceUnited States Air ForceThe United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
) ascended in the ManhighProject ManhighProject Manhigh along with Project Excelsior was a pre-Space Age military project that took men in balloons to the middle layers of the Earth’s stratosphere.-History:...
1 gondola to a record-breaking altitude. - 1957—19 November—31.212 km (102,401.6 ft) above sea level, Major David Simons (United States Air ForceUnited States Air ForceThe United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
) ascended from the Portsmouth MinePortsmouth Mine Pit LakePortsmouth Mine Pit Lake, sometimes called the Portsmouth Pit, is the deepest lake in Minnesota at over 450 feet , according to the most recent Minnesota DNR data. The artificial lake is a former iron mining pit in the Cuyuna Range that has since filled with water.The Portsmouth Mine Pit is...
near Crosby, MinnesotaCrosby, MinnesotaAs of the census of 2000, there were 2,299 people, 989 households, and 554 families residing in the city. The population density was 755.0 people per square mile . There were 1,081 housing units at an average density of 355.0 per square mile...
in the ManhighProject ManhighProject Manhigh along with Project Excelsior was a pre-Space Age military project that took men in balloons to the middle layers of the Earth’s stratosphere.-History:...
2 gondola for a 32-hour record-breaking flight. Simons landed at 5:32 PM on 20 November, in an alfalfa field in northeast South Dakota. - 1960—16 August—Joseph KittingerJoseph KittingerJoseph William Kittinger II is a former Command Pilot and career military officer in the United States Air Force. He is most famous for his participation in Project Manhigh and Project Excelsior, holding the records for having the highest, fastest and longest skydive, from a height greater than...
parachutes from Excelsior III over New Mexico at 102800 ft (31,333.4 m). He sets unbeaten (as of 2010) world records for: high-altitude jump; free-fall by falling 16 miles (25.7 km) before opening his parachute; and fastest speed by a human without motorized assistance, 614 miles per hour (988.1 km/h). - 1961—4 May—34.668 km (113,740.2 ft); Commander Malcolm D. RossMalcolm Ross (balloonist)Malcolm D. Ross was a Captain in the United States Naval Reserve , an atmospheric scientist, and a balloonist who set several records for altitude and scientific inquiry, with more than 100 hours flight time in gas balloons by 1961. Along with Lieutenant Commander Victor A...
and Lieutenant Commander Victor A. Prather, Jr.Victor PratherLieutenant Commander Victor A. Prather Jr. was an American flight surgeon famous for taking part in "Project RAM", a government project to develop the space suit.-Life:...
(US Navy) in Strato-Lab V, using an unpressurized gondola and balloon developed by Winzen Research. After descending, the gondola containing the two balloonists landed in the Gulf of MexicoGulf of MexicoThe Gulf of Mexico is a partially landlocked ocean basin largely surrounded by the North American continent and the island of Cuba. It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United States, on the southwest and south by Mexico, and on the southeast by Cuba. In...
. A hovering helicopter lowered a rescue hook, and although Ross slipped partially out of it, he was able to recover before falling completely into the water. A few minutes later Prather slipped off the rescue hook into the ocean and drowned in spite of heroic efforts by Navy divers to rescue him.
Hot air balloons
| Year | Date | Altitude | Person | Aircraft | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| imperial | metric | |||||
| 2004 | December 13, 2004 | 4.1 mi (21,647.9 ft) | 6.614 km (6,614 m) | David Hempleman-Adams David Hempleman-Adams David Kim Hempleman-Adams, LVO, OBE, CStJ, DL is a British adventurer.He is the first person in history to reach the Geographic and Magnetic North and South Poles as well as climb the highest peaks in all seven continents; the Adventurers' Grand Slam... |
Boland Rover A-2 | Fédération Aéronautique Internationale Fédération Aéronautique Internationale The Fédération Aéronautique Internationale is the world governing body for air sports and aeronautics and astronautics world records. Its head office is in Lausanne, Switzerland. This includes man-carrying aerospace vehicles from balloons to spacecraft, and unmanned aerial vehicles... record for hot air balloon |
| 1783 | 15 October 1783 | 0.016 mi (84.5 ft) | 0.026 km (26 m) | Pilâtre de Rozier Pilâtre de Rozier Jean-François Pilâtre de Rozier was a French chemistry and physics teacher, and one of the first pioneers of aviation. He and the Marquis d'Arlandes made the first manned free balloon flight on 21 November 1783, in a Montgolfier balloon. He later died when his balloon crashed near Wimereux in... |
Montgolfier | tethered balloon |
On November 26, 2005, Vijaypat Singhania
Vijaypat Singhania
Vijaypat Singhania is the chairman emeritus of the Raymond Group of clothing and textiles. and a former Sheriff of Mumbai, from 19 December 2005 to 18 December 2006....
set the world altitude record for highest hot air balloon flight, reaching 21290 m (69,849.1 ft). He took off from downtown Bombay, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
and landed 240 km (149.1 mi) south in Panchale. The previous record of 19811 m (64,996.7 ft) had been set by Per Lindstrand
Per Lindstrand
Per Lindstrand is a Swedish aeronautical engineer, pilot, adventurer and entrepreneur. He is particularly known for his series of record-breaking trans-oceanic hot air balloon flights and, later, attempts to be the first to fly a Rozière balloon around the Earth - all with British entrepreneur,...
on June 6, 1988 in Plano, Texas
Plano, Texas
Plano is a city in the state of Texas, located mostly within Collin County. The city's population was 259,841 at the 2010 census, making it the ninth-largest city in Texas and the 71st most populous city in the United States. Plano is located within the metropolitan area commonly referred to as...
.
Unmanned gas balloon
In 1893 French scientist Jules Richard constructed sounding balloons. These unmanned balloons, carrying light, but very precise instruments, approached an altitude of 50,000 feet (15,240 meters).The U.S. (and for a while, the world) altitude record for unmanned balloons was 51.8 km (169,947.5 ft) (according to a 1991 edition of Guinness Book of World Records). The vehicle was a Winzen-Balloon with a volume of 1.35 million cubic metres, which was launched in October 1972 in Chico, California
Chico, California
Chico is the most populous city in Butte County, California, United States. The population was 86,187 at the 2010 census, up from 59,954 at the time of the 2000 census...
, USA.
In 2002 an ultra-thin-film balloon named BU60-1 made of polyethylene
Polyethylene
Polyethylene or polythene is the most widely used plastic, with an annual production of approximately 80 million metric tons...
film 3.4 µm thick with a volume of 60,000 m³ was launched from Sanriku Balloon Center at 6:35 on May 23, 2002. The balloon ascended at a speed of 260 m per minute and successfully reached the altitude of 53 km (173,884.5 ft), breaking the previous world world record set in 1972.
Gliders
The highest altitude obtained in an unpowered aircraft is 50671 ft (15,444.5 m) on 30 August 2006 by Steve FossettSteve Fossett
James Stephen Fossett was an American commodities trader, businessman, and adventurer. Fossett is the first person to fly solo nonstop around the world in a balloon...
(pilot) and Einar Enevoldson
Einar Enevoldson
Einar K. Enevoldson is the director of the Perlan Project. He was a civilian research pilot for NASA's Hugh L. Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, Calif. from 1968 until 1986...
(co-pilot) in their high performance research glider
Glider (sailplane)
A glider or sailplane is a type of glider aircraft used in the sport of gliding. Some gliders, known as motor gliders are used for gliding and soaring as well, but have engines which can, in some cases, be used for take-off or for extending a flight...
, breaking the previous record by 1662 ft (506.6 m). This record was set as part of the Perlan Project
Perlan Project
The Perlan Project is a current research project to fly a sailplane to an altitude of 100,000 feet .-Meteorological Basis of the Project:Standing Mountain waves are a source of rising air used in the sport of soaring...
. The previous record was 49009 ft (14,937.9 m) on February 17, 1986 by Robert Harris in lee waves over California City, USA.
See also
- High-altitude airshipHigh-altitude airshipThe United States Department of Defense Missile Defense Agency contracted Lockheed Martin to construct a high-altitude airship to enhance its Ballistic Missile Defense System ....
- High altitude balloonHigh altitude balloonHigh-altitude balloons are unmanned balloons, usually filled with helium or hydrogen that are released into the stratosphere, generally reaching between ....
- Fédération Aéronautique InternationaleFédération Aéronautique InternationaleThe Fédération Aéronautique Internationale is the world governing body for air sports and aeronautics and astronautics world records. Its head office is in Lausanne, Switzerland. This includes man-carrying aerospace vehicles from balloons to spacecraft, and unmanned aerial vehicles...
External links
- Excelsior III Details of Kittingers' Jump from a stratospheric balloon in 1960
- Iowa State University - High Altitude Balloon Experiments in Technology
- Balloon World Records Fédération Aéronautique InternationaleFédération Aéronautique InternationaleThe Fédération Aéronautique Internationale is the world governing body for air sports and aeronautics and astronautics world records. Its head office is in Lausanne, Switzerland. This includes man-carrying aerospace vehicles from balloons to spacecraft, and unmanned aerial vehicles...
- Fédération Aéronautique Internationale -- the international, non-profit, non-government organization that tracks aircraft world records
- http://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=621