An Age of Magic

British explorer sets unusual world record…in laundry basket!

The British explorer David Hempleman-Adams has broken two world records by staying put for more than fourteen hours in a small-sized hot air balloon over the United States. The 52-year-old adventurer spent fourteen hours and fifteen minutes in a basket the size of a household laundry basket when he flew more than 200 miles from Butler, Missouri, over farming fields to Cherokee, Oklahoma. He has smashed the record for the AA-01 class balloon, which had stayed unbroken for more than twenty-six years at eight hours and twelve minutes, and also broke the record for the bigger AA-02 class of balloon. What will the guy think of next…sailing across the Atlantic in a couple of stone sinks !

For the uninitiated – the AA class of balloon is a free balloon that does not have an airborne heater – very like the giant version of the type sold to children at funfairs. The AA-01 class must contain 250 cubic meters of gas or less, while an AA-02 contains 250-400 cubic meters. In this case helium was used, but hydrogen gas is also an option.

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