World's first manned flight

The Wright brothers are considered to be the pioneers of the aviation industry. They made the first four historic flights in December 1903, piloting the Wright Flyer airplane. Each of the brothers' flights was longer than the previous one. The first flight of the Wright Flyer lasted for 12 seconds and the last one was 59 seconds. On their third attempt, the Wright brothers covered a distance of 259 meters.

First solo flight across Atlantic Ocean

American Charles Lindbergh became the first pilot to accomplish a solo nonstop flight across the Atlantic Ocean in May 1927. This flight is believed to be a milestone in the history of world aviation. His Spirit of St. Louis plane lifted off from Roosevelt Field, Long Island, US, to land in Paris after 33.5 hours in the air. To increase the flight distance, the main fuel tank was placed in front of the cockpit. This meant that the pilot would have no forward vision. Therefore, a periscope was added. It was a justified design: the flight distance grew and the plane was easier to pilot.

First round-the-world non-stop flight

In January 1957, three B-52 strategic bombers made the first round-the-world non-stop flight that lasted 45 hours and 19 minutes. The bombers moved at a speed of 850 km/h and covered 39,750 kilometers. In January 1962, a new record was set: the flight distance without refueling was 22 hours 9 minutes, with a coverage of 20,168 kilometers. Among contemporaries, 17-year-old Mack Rutherford became the youngest person to fly solo around the world in a small aircraft. The pilot flew through 52 countries, crossing the equator twice.

Record-breaking airplane

In March 1989, the An-225 set 110 world records during a single 3.5-hour flight. The aircraft holds records for transportation of the biggest commercial cargo, the heaviest takeoff weight, speed, altitude, and flight distance. At the end of the 20th century, the An-225 was considered the world's largest transport aircraft, with a carrying capacity of up to 250 tonnes

First round-the-world balloon flight

This unique round-the-world flight took place in 1999. Two enthusiasts, Bertrand Piccard and Brian Jones, became the first-ever people to fly across the globe in a balloon, covering a distance of 45,755 kilometers. This hazardous flight lasted 19 days, 21 hours and 47 minutes. Bertrand Picard had experience in aeronautics and piloting. In fact, he had adventures in his blood: his grandfather Auguste and father Jacques were known for diving into the Mariana Trench in a bathyscaphe. In addition, many relatives of the record holder are famous conquerors of the air.

Altitude record

In October 2004, American pilot Brian Binny set an altitude record flying aboard the SpaceShipOne rocket aircraft. The vehicle left the Earth's atmosphere and entered the weightlessness of space, flying to an altitude of 112 km above the Earth's surface. The aircraft was designed by Scaled Composites LLC to participate in the Ansari X Prize competition. The main condition was to create a spacecraft capable of entering outer space twice in two weeks, with a crew consisting of at least three members. The company won a $10 million prize for Brian Binny’s SpaceShipOne flight.

Longest flight

American businessman Stephen Fossett rounds the top 7 aviation records. In February 2006, he broke an absolute record for the longest non-stop flight in aviation history by flying more than 41,467.53 kilometers in 76 hours and 45 minutes. During the round-the-world flight, Fossett twice crossed the Atlantic Ocean. He took off from the Kennedy Space Center, Florida, US, and landed in England.