When you think of a hot air balloon, you’ll likely picture one drifting towards the sky. However, a man decided to go against the grain and cruise in a hot air balloon underground.
When you think of a hot air balloon, you’ll likely picture one drifting towards the sky. However, a man decided to go against the grain and cruise in a hot air balloon underground.
On September 18th, the 70-year-old Australian hot air balloon pilot named Ivan Trifonov flew into Mamet Cave in Croatia. The cave measures more than 670 feet deep with a 200 foot wide opening at the top.
To navigate the space he used a specially designed balloon.
In place of a basket, he controlled the craft from a steel frame situated above a set of gas tanks.
Trifonov descended into the cave and emerged back out 25 minutes later. It’s believed the underground hot air balloon stunt is the very first of its kind.
Trifonov remarked “It was very hard and I don't think anyone else will ever repeat this venture.” The cave journey was filmed from a number of angles and the footage will be submitted to Guinness World Records.
If the videos and documentation are accepted, Trifonov will receive a world record for the adventure. In the past, Trifonov flew a hot air balloon above the South Pole.
