This month saw the incredible moment when an intrepid French hot air balloonist smashed his own record for standing on top of a hot air balloon at altitude.
The 28-year-old Remi Ouvrard stunned onlookers on November 10 as he and his hot air balloon pilot father took to the skies over Châtellerault in the west of France and ascended to an altitude of 4,016 metres, smashing Ouvrard’s own record of 1,217 metres, which he achieved in February 2020.
The stunt was intended to promote a charity event called the Telethon. The Telethon raises money to support research into genetic neuromuscular diseases. The whole event was broadcast live on Fun Radio and Ouvrard’s social media networks.
The balloon was initially intended to ascend to an altitude of 3,637 meters to echo the phone number of the telephone campaign – a Ouvrard posed on the top of his balloon with placards showing this number to incite people to call in and donate to the charity – but the flying conditions were so perfect that Ouvrard and his father just kept on going.
Photos of the feat show Ouvrard dressed in a pressure suit and sporting a selfie stick so that he could broadcast live to his fans as he and his balloon breached the 4,000-metre mark. Despite his altitude and the cold air, Ouvrard explained that he was boiling hot in his pressure suit, thanks to the heat coming off the hot air balloon.
For those who would like to get their own taste of hot air ballooning, hot air balloon flights in Bath, Bristol and other areas in the southwest of the UK are on offer.
