On July 23, Russian traveler Fyodor Konyukhov finished his solo round-the-world flight by balloon across three oceans in record time – it took him 11 days, 5 hours and 31 minutes, reports TASS.
Konyukhov not only set a new record at the first attempt, but he also managed to do it by landing his balloon – named Morton – just several hundred meters away from Northam in Western Australia, where he started his voyage.
This is “almost impossible from a scientific standpoint. It’s just an amazing coincidence," said Vladimir Balashov, chairman of the Australian center of the Russian Geographic Society.
Only one previous attempt to accomplish a solo round-the-world voyage by balloon has been successful: American adventurer Steve Fossett did it in 13 days, 8 hours and 33 minutes in 2002.
