The first around the world flight was completed by Swiss Bertrand Piccard (grandson of Auguste Piccard) and Briton Brian Jones. Leaving from Switzerland and landing in Africa, they smashed all previous distance records, travelling over 29,000 miles and flying for 19 days, 21 hours and 55 minutes.

Myanmar Air traffic control:
'Hotel Bravo-Bravo Romeo Alpha, what is your departure point and destination?'

Brian Jones:
Departure point, Château d'Oex, Switzerland. Destination, somewhere in northern Africa.

Myanmar Air traffic control, after several seconds' silence:
If you're going from Switzerland to northern Africa, what on earth are you doing in Myanmar?

Brian Jones and unknown controller, approaching Myanmar's air space during record around the world in a balloon trip, 9 March 1999

Brief History

1783 - Birth of Flight

1784 - English Aeronaut

1785 - Conquering the Channel

1793 - America Takes Off

1800 - Death of the Hot Air Balloon

1812 - The Irish Question

1898 - Balloons to Airplanes

1931 - A Stratospheric Achievement

1935 - Highest Men in the World

1960 - Balloons and Parachutes

1960s - Renaissance of Hot Air

1978 - Transatlantic Challenge

1981 - Transpacific Challenge

1987 - Richard Branson

1999 - The Last Frontier

2005 - Altitude Record Broken Again