Absolute World Records, Balloons

Updated February 21, 2017 | Factmonster Staff
Selected records. Source: National Aeronautic Association
  • Altitude
  • 113,739.9 ft; 34,668 m.
  • Cmdr. M.D. Ross (U.S.) and Lt. Cmdr. V.A. Prather, Lee Lewis Memorial, Gulf of Mexico, May 4, 1961.
  • Distance
  • 25,360 mi; 40,814 km.
  • Bertrand Piccard (Switzerland) and Brian Jones (UK), Cameron Balloons R-650, Château d'Oex, Switzerland, to Dakhla, Egypt, March 1–21, 1999.
  • Duration
  • 477 hr., 47 min.
  • Bertrand Piccard (Switzerland) and Brian Jones (UK), Cameron Balloons R-650, Château d'Oex, Switzerland, to Dakhla, Egypt, March 1–21, 1999.
  • Fastest time around the world
  • 312 hr., 3 min.
  • Steve Fossett (U.S.), Spirit of Freedom, Northam, Western Australia to Lake Yamma Yamma, Queensland, Australia. Flight, June 19–July 3; record broken on July 2, 2002.
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