Across America Mission: Solar Impulse ready for third leg from Dallas to St. Louis

After the San Francisco (California) to Phoenix (Arizona) and Phoenix to Dallas (Texas) flights, Solar Impulse is now ready for the third leg of its Across America Mission, from Dallas to St. Louis (Missouri). Take-off is scheduled for today 4am local time (11am Swiss time) and landing for tomorrow 1am local time (8am Swiss time).

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Ananov breaks 52-year-old rotorcraft world records

The FAI has recently ratified two rotocraft world records claimed by Sergey Ananov from Russia.

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Across America Mission: longest flight world record to be submitted to FAI for ratification

The solar-powered airplane Solar Impulse, which departed on 22 May from Phoenix (Arizona), reached Dallas (Texas) yesterday morning, thus achieving a flight that might prove to be the longest flight (Straight distance, pre-declared waypoints) ever made with 1’541 km.

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Across America Mission: Solar Impulse leaves Phoenix for Dallas

Solar Impulse, the solar-powered airplane of Swiss pioneers Bertrand Piccard and André Borschberg, will today depart from Phoenix for Dallas to complete the second leg of its flight across america.

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Solar Impulse to attempt to fly across America

On 3 May, Solar Impulse, the Swiss solar-powered aircraft, will take off from San Francisco, USA, at 6:00 local time (15:00 CEST).

Bertrand Piccard, the initiator of the Solar Impulse project, will pilot the airplane from San Francisco, California, to Phoenix, Arizona. This will be the first leg of the coast-to-coast flights across the USA. It is expected to land tomorrow around 1:00 local time (the estimated flight duration is 19 hours).

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Largest Freefall Formation (Feminine category) European Record broken!

The FAI has just ratified the european record of the largest freefall formation (feminine category) achieved by 88 parachutists in Kolomna, Russia. They superseded the record established in 2008 by 70 parachutists. Congratulations !

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Baumgartner’s Records Ratified by FAI !

The FAI has today ratified the 3 world records claimed by Austrian parachutist Felix Baumgartner for Maximum Vertical Speed, Exit Altitude and Vertical Distance of Freefall.

On 14 October 2012 and supported by a team of experts from the Red Bull Stratos Mission, Felix took off from Roswell, USA, aboard a pressurised capsule attached to a helium balloon. Wearing a specially designed suit, Felix was carried high into the sky up to an altitude of 38969.4m, where he exited the capsule and launched himself down towards Earth. Felix achieved a freefall distance of 36402.6 m and reached the speed of 1357.6 km/h before opening his parachute and landing safely on the ground.

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Felix Baumgartner's preliminary World Records claim received

The FAI has just received the prelimary claim for Felix Baumgartner's World Records.

The following figures must be ratified before the FAI can officially approve the World Records.

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Baumgartner breaks the Maximum Vertical Speed World Record

Felix Baumgartner has been recognised today by the FAI for breaking the Maximum Vertical Speed World Record without a drogue or stabilization device.

Baumgartner on the day of the world record
© Jörg Mitter/Red Bull Content Pool

The 43 year old Austrian Baumgartner was carried high up in the sky by a pressurised capsule attached to a helium balloon. Wearing a specially designed suit, he exited the capsule at an altitude of 21’818 meters (71'581 feet) and achieved a jump during which he reached the staggering record speed of 587 km per hour.

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Bertrand Piccard and Brian Jones

In March 1999, Bertrand Piccard and Brian Jones achieve the first round-the-world flight in a balloon, aboard the Breitling Orbiter III, from March 1 to March 21 1999.

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