Hello Hindustan with Kapil Krishnaswamy (19) - Vijaypat Singhania sets world record in hot air balloon

Indian millionaire Vijaypat Singhania has set a world record height in a hot air balloon. Singhania climbed to a height of 70,000 feet above sea level (above 21,000 meters).

Former recordholder was Swedish Per Lindstrand, who reached the height of 64.997 feet (19.811 meters) in Plano, Texas in 1988.

Dr. Vijaypat Singhania, renowned industrialist and aviator par excellence "wanted to touch the face of God".

Dr. Singhania : "I have been adventurous all my life and I always wanted to do something that would contribute to the glory of India. I love taking risks and like challenges. My record to achieve the highest altitude record in a hot-air balloon flight, taking off from my home town, Mumbai will bring great honour to my country."

Rising to challenges and breaking records is nothing new for Dr. Singhania. It has become a way of life for him. ‘MI 70K’ will be the third and greatest aviation record sought by Dr. Vijaypat Singhania, who in 1994 won his class division in a flying race around the world. He completed the journey in his turboprop Cessna Conquest, 32 minutes ahead of his nearest rival, winning at FAI gold medal, the only such medal won by an Indian aviator.

In 1988, Dr. Vijaypat Singhania had set a record in his microlight, flying solo 5420 miles from London to Ahmedabad in 22 days in a tiny CFM shadow, powered by a two-stroke Rotax engine, beating the 34-day record set the previous year by the English journalist and adventurer, Brian Milton. Dr. Singhania’s record was greeted with acclaim throughout India and the Middle East and Dr. Singhania was subsequently conferred by the then President of India, H.E. Shri. R Venkataraman, the Honorary Air Commodore rank within the Indian Air Force. The only other man so-honoured was the father of Indian aviation, Mr. JRD Tata.