Pilot Steers Hot Air Balloon Through Giant Underground Cave
Hot-air balloons are known for floating gracefully into the wild blue yonder and giving passengers a spectacular view of the horizon unfolding beneath them. This picturesque tradition is what makes Austrian Ivan Trifonov's balloon exploit such a head scratcher.
Rather than vault into the air, Trifonov took his balloon, complete with custom-made seat, into the depths of a cave. In a feat of aerial precision, Trifonov slowly descended into the Mamet Cave in Croatia, which is 675 feet deep. Video of the event, filmed on Sept. 18, was taken from all angles and looks stunning if claustrophobia-inducing.
The trip is being reviewed by Guinness World Records to verify that it is a new record (Trifonov figures it is). Of course, the boundaries of this cave are very difficult to maneuver for just about any pilot, so if verified, this world record will probably stand for quite a while.
But even if it isn't confirmed, Trifonov already has four world records to his name, including having been the first to balloon over both of the Earth's poles, the Mediterranean Sea, Jerusalem, the Great Wall of China, and the Kremlin. What's more, Trifonov accomplished his balloon-spelunking mission at the age of 70.
It's just proof that age doesn't have to slow you down, even if you are traveling slowly down.
