Padre russo tentará bater o recorde mundial de volta ao mundo sozinho num balão.
Notícia enviada pelo meu amigo astrônomo Col Maybury, presidente da "The Astronomical Society of the Hunter" de Kurri Kurri / Austrália.
Depois de um início muito instável última segunda / terça, em torno das 23:30 am UT. a partir da cidade de Northam, na Austrália Ocidental, o intrépido balonista e padre ortodoxo russo Fedor Konyukhov, atingiu correntes de ventos rápidos e partiu para uma grande aventura: dar a volta ao mundo.
O padre Fedor atravessou a Austrália, o oceano pacífico, já passou pela Ilha de Páscoa e voou para a costa da América do Sul, na região das neves que folheiam as altas montanhas dos Andes. Agora, noite no continente, Fedor deverá adentrar o espaço aéreo brasileiro próximo de Porto Alegre/RS na manha dessa terça-feira, 19/07/2016.
De qualquer forma, o que já foi feito até agora, ter vindo até aqui, de tão longe de onde saiu, é uma grande façanha. O padre Fedor espera voltar para Northam/AU no próximo domingo e talvez quebrar o recorde mundial de volta ao mundo num balão, estabelecido pelo americano Steve Fossett em 2002 (Steve Fossett foi o primeiro homem a dar a volta ao mundo sozinho a bordo de um balão).
Você pode rastrear o voo do padre Fedor (com informações sobre altitude, velocidade, corrodenadas, etc) clicando no ícone amarelo em: https://my.yb.tl/rrtw2016
Fonte: http://www.perthnow.com.au/
Russian Fedor Konyukhov’s record hot air balloon record attempt from Northam
DANIELLE LE MESSURIER IN NORTHAM, PerthNow
July 12, 2016 8:16pm
RARE AIR: Russian adventurer prepares for Northam balloon challenge
A DAREDEVIL Russian adventurer has taken off from Northam in a hot air-helium balloon in a round-the-world-in-13-days world record attempt, lifting off just after 7.30am.
Favourable weather conditions greeted Russian adventurer Fedor Konyukhov’s first attempt at flying around the world in a hot-air balloon, with biting cold and still air in Northam at dawn.
The Russian balloonist got airborne just after 7.30am — as he attempts to break American Steve Fossett’s 13 day round-the-world record.
By 7am WST, nearly 24 hours after lift-off, Konyukhov’s balloon was approaching the tiny town of Forrest, 1450km east of Perth and about 1350km east of Northam.
The adventurer is beginning to pick up more speed and he is expected to cross the WA-SA border early Wednesday.
He was on a direct path which took him slightly north of Coolgardie and Kalgoorlie, having passed a few kilometres north of Southern Cross, roughly following a path parallel to, but north of Great Eastern Highway.
The mercury dipped close to 0C at midnight in Northam, 100km northeast of Perth, as Konyukhov, 64, and his team inflated the “Morton” Rosiere balloon — a combined hot air and helium gas balloon.
There was a slight hitch early Tuesday when the team discovered a tiny tear in the balloon, which had to be restitched.
Scottish balloonist and founder of Cameron balloons, Don Cameron, said the launch “couldn’t have been better” despite fears there would not be enough helium to lift the balloon.
“We were a little worried at the end that we might not have enough gas but we had just enough so it was okay.
“If that had been so we would have taken one of the fuel tanks off to lighten the load but of course that would have compromised the duration.”
UP and away: Russian adventurer Fedor Konyukhov launches his record breaking attempt to fly around the world in less than 13 days in a hot air and gas balloon. Picture: Sean Middleton
Russian adventurer Fedor Konyukhov’s Rosiere hot air-helium balloon moments before it rose into the air over Northam on the round-the-world-in13-days world record attempt. Picture: Sean Middleton
Perth mum Merrill Pfitzner was among hundreds of families who made the drive to Northam to see the “once in a lifetime” balloon launch.
American aviator Steve Fossett also took off from Northam Airfield during his record breaking attempt in 2002.
“It’s a one-off and it’s the most amazing, epic journey,” Ms Pfitzner said.
“You just want your children to see something like that up front and to have that opportunity is just amazing.”
Up and away: Fedor Konyukhov is set to go in the gondola of his his hot air and helium balloon. Picture: Sean Middleton
Dick Smith, former owner of Dick Smith electronics, said he was excited to watch the Russian adventurer’s journey.
“I consider him the world’s greatest adventurer,” Mr Smith said.
“It’s a huge balloon, it’s a very risky undertaking. I’ve flown across Australia and across the Tasman Sea in a similar Rosiere balloon and you’re virtually completely out of control.
“He will be doing something like 160km/h which is normal speed but knowing that you have to land at less than about 15km/h to get down safely so it’s a very risky undertaking.”
The 56-metre tall balloon, the same height as the leaning Tower of Pisa, is wider than two double decker buses end to end, however the gondola itself is only 1.6m wide.
Blessed with clear skies and little wind, the Russian survivalist, balloon pilot, yacht captain and ordained Eastern Orthodox priest was expected to take off just after 7am from Northam Airfield, but lifted off about 7.34am.
Mr Konyukhov arrived in Perth early last month but has faced several delays to his launch due to poor weather.
He will attempt to circumnavigate the world non-stop in less than 13 days and is confident the balloon’s new technology will help him set a new world record, which is currently held by the late American aviator Steve Fossett.
The 33,000km lap of the earth has only been completed twice in a hot-air balloon. Bertrand Piccard and Brian Jones finished the trip in 1999 while Fossett was successful in 2002, completing the trip in 13-and-a-half days.
Mr Konyukhov will fly at heights of up to 10,000 metres and will take advantage of strong west-to east wind corridors to speed him up.
His cruising speed will vary between 100km/h and 300km/h, all while enduring temperatures of about -40C.
Russian adventurer Fedor Konyukhov about to embark on his record breaking attempt to fly around the world in less than 13 days in a hot air and helium balloon. Picture: Sean Middleton
During the expedition, Mr Konyukhov will survive on four hours sleep broken down into 45 minute naps. He will eat concentrated food, frozen at -70C and vacuum-packed ready for consumption.
While the prospect of spending 13 days living in these conditions seems daunting, it’s nothing the seasoned adventurer hasn’t endured before.
He accomplished his first expedition at the age of 15 when he crossed the Sea of Azov, in southeastern Europe, in a row boat.
Mr Konyukhov has also been to both North and South Poles and summited Mount Everest twice.
He also holds the world record for the longest dog sled race (1850km) from Anchorage to Nome in Alaska, in 2000.
His team were at Northam Airfield on Monday conducting practice inflations of his balloon.
He said he was confident his “Morton” Rosiere balloon was up to the challenge
“To complete the round-the-world route before I run out of propane I must utilise the jet streams,” Mr Konyukhov said.
“These winds are a good ally, as long they are blowing in a west to east direction.”
The adventure will take him over the Tasman Sea to New Zealand before flying onwards to Chile, Argentina, South Africa, and back to WA.
In 2013-14, he crossed the Pacific Ocean from Chile to Australia’s Sunshine Coast in a row boat, completing the 17,408km trip in 160 days.
