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Altitude of the Highest Manned Balloon Flight The Physics Factbook™

Edited by Glenn Elert -- Written by his students An educational, Fair Use website

Bibliographic Entry Result
(w/surrounding text) Standardized Result

Piccard, Don. World Book Encyclopedia. USA: World Book, 1996. "1961, US Navy Officers Victor A. Prather, Jr and Malcolm Ross rose from a zero-pressure balloon at an altitude of 113,739.9 feet." 34,668 m

Crouch, Tom D. The Eagle Aloft: Two Centuries of the Balloon in America. Washington DC: Smithsonian, 1983. "May 4, 1961, M.D. Ross and V.C. Prather rose at the world record of 113,740 feet." 34,668 m

Perhaps it was just an Indian millionaire, bullock cart driver record?

[CarrotAndStick]

Highest flight in a manned hot air balloon.

[Unmarked Package]

Piccard, Don. World Book Encyclopedia. USA: World Book, 1996. "1961, US Navy Officers Victor A. Prather, Jr and Malcolm Ross rose from a zero-pressure balloon at an altitude of 113,739.9 feet." 34,668 m

The record setting flight in 1961 was a spectacular achievement, but a gas balloon was used, not a hot air balloon. Prather died at the end of the record-setting flight when they landed at sea. His flight suit filled with water and he drowned.

[Milhous]

Thank you for your research to debunk yet another Olds Media feel-good fabrication. The picture of his balloon seems incredibly different from genuine high altitude balloons that launch in a mostly deflated state. Such balloons self inflate while ascending to lower pressures at higher altitudes.