Flight altitude record#Balloons

File:Bundesarchiv Bild 102-11505, Vorbereitung für Stratosphären-Flug.jpg and Paul Kipfer (photo) reached a record altitude of 15,781 m. In 1932, Auguste Piccard and Max Cosyns made a second record-breaking ascent to 16,201 m. Auguste Piccard ultimately made a total of twenty-seven balloon flights, setting a final record of 23,000 m {{citation needed|date=December 2021}}.]]

• 1783-08-15: {{convert|24|m|ft|abbr=on}}; Jean-François Pilâtre de Rozier of France, the first ascent in a hot-air balloon.
• 1783-10-19: {{convert|81|m|ft|abbr=on}}; Jean-François Pilâtre de Rozier, in Paris.
• 1783-10-19: {{convert|105|m|ft|abbr=on}}; Jean-François Pilâtre de Rozier with André Giroud de Villette, in Paris.
• 1783-11-21: {{convert|1000|m|ft|abbr=on}}; Jean-François Pilâtre de Rozier with Marquis d'Arlandes, in Paris.
• 1783-12-01: {{convert|2.7|km|ft|abbr=on}}; Jacques Alexandre Charles and his assistant Marie-Noël Robert, both of France, made the first flight in a hydrogen balloon to about {{cvt|610|m|ft}}. Charles then ascended alone to the record altitude.
• 1784-06-23: {{convert|4|km|ft|abbr=on}}; Pilâtre de Rozier and the chemist Joseph Proust in a Montgolfier.
• 1803-07-18: {{convert|7.28|km|ft|abbr=on}}; Étienne-Gaspard Robert and Auguste Lhoëst in a balloon.
• 1839: {{convert|7.9|km|ft|abbr=on}}; Charles Green and Spencer Rush in a free balloon.
• 1862-09-05: about {{convert|29,500|ft|m|abbr=on}}; Henry Coxwell and James Glaisher in a balloon filled with coal gas.{{Cite journal |last=Hazen |first=H. A. |date=December 9, 1898 |title=Glaisher's Highest Balloon Ascension |url=https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/aeronautical-journal/article/abs/glaishers-highest-balloon-ascension/40267CCAEA286F2E3173188BA961397A |journal=The Aeronautical Journal |language=en |volume=3 |issue=9 |page=13 |doi=10.1017/S2398187300143610 |s2cid=164568526 |issn=2398-1873}} Glaisher lost consciousness during the ascent due to the low air pressure and cold temperature of {{convert|-11|°C|°F|0}}.
• 1901-07-31: {{convert|10.8|km|ft|abbr=on}}; Arthur Berson and Reinhard Süring in the hydrogen balloon Preußen, in an open basket and with oxygen in steel cylinders. This flight contributed to the discovery of the stratosphere.
• 1927-11-04: {{convert|13.222|km|ft|abbr=on}}{{cn|date=April 2023}}; Captain Hawthorne C. Gray, of the U.S. Army Air Corps, in a helium balloon. Gray lost consciousness after his oxygen supply ran out and was killed in the crash.
• 1931-05-27: {{convert|15.781|km|ft|abbr=on}}; Auguste Piccard and Paul Kipfer in a hydrogen balloon.
• 1932: {{convert|16.201|km|ft|abbr=on}} -Auguste Piccard and Max Cosyns in a hydrogen balloon.
• 1933-09-30: {{convert|18.501|km|ft|abbr=on}}; USSR balloon USSR-1.
• 1933-11-20: {{convert|18.592|km|ft|abbr=on}}; Lt. Comdr. Thomas G. W. Settle (USN) and Maj Chester L. Fordney (USMC) in Century of Progress balloon
• 1934-01-30: {{convert|21.946|km|ft|abbr=on}}; USSR balloon Osoaviakhim-1. The three crew were killed when the balloon broke up during the descent.
• 1935-11-10: {{convert|22.066|km|ft|abbr=on}}; Captain O. A. Anderson and Captain A. W. Stevens (U.S. Army Air Corps) ascended in the Explorer II gondola from the Stratobowl, near Rapid City, South Dakota, for a flight that lasted 8 hours 13 minutes and covered {{convert|362|km|mi}}.
• 1956-11-08: {{convert|23.165|km|ft|abbr=on}}; Malcolm D. Ross and M. L. Lewis (U.S. Navy) in Office of Naval Research Strato-Lab I, using a pressurized gondola and plastic balloon launching near Rapid City, South Dakota, and landing {{convert|282|km|mi|abbr=on}} away near Kennedy, Nebraska.
• 1957-06-02: {{convert|29.4997|km|ft|abbr=on}}; Captain Joseph W. Kittinger (U.S. Air Force) ascended in the Project Manhigh 1 gondola to a record-breaking altitude.
• 1957-08-19: {{convert|31.212|km|ft|abbr=on}}; above sea level, Major David Simons (U.S. Air Force) ascended from the Portsmouth Mine near Crosby, Minnesota, in the Manhigh 2 gondola for a 32-hour record-breaking flight. Simons landed at 5:32 p.m. on August 20 in northeastern South Dakota.
• 1960-08-16: {{convert|31.333|km|ft|abbr=on}}; Testing a high-altitude parachute system, Joseph Kittinger of the U.S. Air Force parachuted from the Excelsior III balloon over New Mexico at {{convert|102800|ft|m|abbr=on}}. He set world records for: high-altitude jump; freefall diving by falling {{convert|16|mi|km|abbr=on|order=flip}} before opening his parachute; and fastest speed achieved by a human without motorized assistance, {{convert|614|mph|km/h|abbr=on|order=flip}}.{{citation|title=Free-falling|url=https://www.newscientist.com/lastword/mg19125622-400-free-falling/|date=July 26, 2006|publisher=New Scientist|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171107030437/https://www.newscientist.com/lastword/mg19125622-400-free-falling/|archive-date=November 7, 2017}}
• 1961-05-04: {{convert|34.668|km|ft|abbr=on}}; Commander Malcolm D. Ross and Lieutenant Commander Victor A. Prather, Jr., of the U.S. Navy ascended in the Strato-Lab V, in an unpressurized gondola. After descending, the gondola containing the two balloonists landed in the Gulf of Mexico. Prather slipped off the rescue helicopter's hook into the gulf and drowned.{{efn|name=ballonflightrecords|The FAI Absolute Altitude (#2325) record for balloon flight set in 1961 by Malcolm Ross and Victor Prather is still current, since it requires the balloonist to descend with the balloon.{{cite web | url = http://www.fai.org/record-ballooning | title = Ballooning World Records | access-date = March 20, 2015 | author = The International Air Sports Federation (FAI) | url-status = dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160908172221/http://www.fai.org/record-ballooning | archive-date = September 8, 2016 }}}}
• 1966-02-02: {{convert|37.6|km|ft|abbr=on}}; Amateur parachutist Nicholas Piantanida of the United States with his "Project Strato-Jump" II balloon. Because he was unable to disconnect his oxygen line from the gondola's main feed, the ground crew had to remotely detach the balloon from the gondola. His planned free fall and parachute jump was abandoned, and he returned to the ground in the gondola. Nick was unable to accomplish his desired free fall record, however his spectacular flight set other records that held up for 46 years. Because of the design of his glove, he was unable to reattach his safety seat belt harness. He endured very high g-forces, but survived the descent. Piantanida's ascent is not recognized by the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale as a balloon altitude world record, because he did not return with his balloon, although that was not the feat he was trying to accomplish. On this second attempt of "Project Strato-Jump", Nick Piantanida took with him 250 postmarked air-mail envelopes and letters. At the time, these letters were the first covers to have ever been delivered by the U.S. Post Office via space. The habit of taking cover letters to space continued with the Apollo Program; in 1972 there was a scandal involving the Apollo 15 astronauts. It is unclear if any of the "Project Strato-Jump" covers survived, and were eventually mailed to the intended recipients.
• 2012-10-14: {{convert|38.969|km|ft|abbr=on}}; Felix Baumgartner in the Red Bull Stratos balloon. The flight started near Roswell, New Mexico, and returned to earth via a record-setting parachute jump.
• 2014-10-24: {{convert|41.424|km|ft}}; Alan Eustace, a senior vice president at the Google corporation, in a helium balloon, returning to earth via parachute jump during the StratEx mission executed by Paragon Space Development Corporation.{{cite news|work=The New York Times|title=Alan Eustace Jumps From Stratosphere, Breaking Felix Baumgartner's World Record|date=October 24, 2014|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/25/science/alan-eustace-jumps-from-stratosphere-breaking-felix-baumgartners-world-record.html|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141024205113/http://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/25/science/alan-eustace-jumps-from-stratosphere-breaking-felix-baumgartners-world-record.html|archive-date=October 24, 2014|last1=Markoff|first1=John}}{{Cite web|url=http://www.paragonsdc.com/stratex/|title = Alan Eustace and the Paragon StratEx Team Make Stratospheric Exploration History}}

During 1893 French scientist Jules Richard constructed sounding balloons. These uncrewed balloons, carrying light, but very precise instruments, approached an altitude of {{convert|15.24|km|ft|abbr=on}}.{{cite web |url=http://www.centennialofflight.gov/essay/Lighter_than_air/early_scientific_balloons/LTA7.htm |title=Early Scientific Balloons |access-date=February 4, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110208162351/http://www.centennialofflight.gov/essay/Lighter_than_air/early_scientific_balloons/LTA7.htm |archive-date=February 8, 2011 }}

A Winzen balloon launched from Chico, California, in 1972 set the uncrewed altitude record of {{convert|51.8|km|ft|abbr=on}}. Its volume was {{convert|47,800,000|ft3|m3|abbr=on|order=flip}}.{{Cite book |url=https://archive.org/details/guinnessbookofwo00mcfa/page/315/mode/1up |title=The Guinness Book of World Records |publisher=Bantam Books |year=1991 |editor-last=McFarlan |editor-first=Donald |edition=1991 |pages=315|isbn=9780553289541 }}

On September 20, 2013, JAXA launched an ultrathin film balloon called BS13-08 made of 2.8 μm thick polyethylene film with a volume of {{cvt|80000|m3|ft3}}, which was {{cvt|60|m|ft}} in diameter. The balloon rose at a speed of {{convert|250|m/min|ft/min}} and reached an altitude of {{cvt|53.7|km|ft}}, surpassing the previous world record set in 2002.{{Cite web |title=ISAS {{!}} 超薄膜高高度気球（BS13-08）が無人気球到達高度の世界記録を更新 / トピックス |url=https://www.isas.jaxa.jp/j/topics/topics/2013/0920.shtml |access-date=2024-01-30 |website=www.isas.jaxa.jp}}

This was the greatest height a flying object reached without using rockets or a launch with a cannon.

On February 17, 1986, the highest altitude obtained by a soaring aircraft was set at {{convert|49009|ft|km|abbr=on|order=flip}} by Robert Harris using lee waves over California City, United States. The flight was accomplished using the Grob 102 Standard Astir III.{{cite web |url=https://airandspace.si.edu/collection-objects/grob-102-standard-astir-iii/nasm_A19970455000 |title=Grob 102 Standard Astir III – Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum |access-date=September 30, 2022 }}

This was surpassed at {{convert|50720|ft|km|abbr=on|order=flip}} set on August 30, 2006, by Steve Fossett (pilot) and Einar Enevoldson (co-pilot) in their high performance research glider Perlan 1, a modified Glaser-Dirks DG-500.{{cite web |url=http://www.fai.org/fai-record-file/?recordId=14043 |title=Fédération Aéronautique Internationale — Gliding World Records |access-date=July 24, 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150413093412/http://www.fai.org/fai-record-file/?recordId=14043 |archive-date=April 13, 2015 }} This record was achieved over El Calafate (Patagonia, Argentina) and set as part of the Perlan Project.{{cite web |author= DG Flugzeugbau GmbH |title= Perlan Project |url= http://dg-flugzeugbau.de/perlan-e.html#Perlan2 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20101215141919/http://dg-flugzeugbau.de/perlan-e.html#Perlan2 |url-status= dead |archive-date= December 15, 2010 }}

This was raised at {{convert|52172|ft|km|abbr=on|order=flip}} on September 3, 2017{{cite web|url=https://www.onlinecontest.org/olc-2.0/gliding/flightinfo.html?flightId=1234896874|title=OLC Flight information – Jim Payne (US) – 03.09.2017|last=gGmbH|first=Segelflugszene|website=www.onlinecontest.org|access-date=September 3, 2017|url-status=live|archive-url=http://archive.wikiwix.com/cache/20170903152512/https://www.onlinecontest.org/olc-2.0/gliding/flightinfo.html?flightId=1234896874|archive-date=September 3, 2017}} by Jim Payne (pilot) and Morgan Sandercock (co-pilot) in the Perlan 2,{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.wired.com/story/the-powerless-plane-riding-the-wind-to-a-new-altitude-record/|title=The Powerless Plane Riding the Wind to a New Altitude Record|magazine=WIRED|access-date=September 3, 2017|language=en-US|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170904015139/https://www.wired.com/story/the-powerless-plane-riding-the-wind-to-a-new-altitude-record/|archive-date=September 4, 2017}} a special built high altitude research glider. This record was again achieved over El Calafate and as part of the Perlan Project.

On September 2, 2018, within the Airbus Perlan Mission II, again from El Calafate, the Perlan II piloted by Jim Payne and Tim Gardner reached {{cvt|76,124|ft|km|order=flip}}, surpassing the {{cvt|73,737|ft|km|order=flip}} attained by Jerry Hoyt on April 17, 1989, in a Lockheed U-2: the highest subsonic flight.{{cite press release |url= https://www.airbus.com/newsroom/press-releases/en/2018/09/airbus-perlan-mission-ii-glider-soars-to-76-000-feet-to-break-ow.html |title= Airbus Perlan Mission II glider soars to 76,000 feet to break own altitude record, surpassing even U-2 reconnaissance plane |date= September 3, 2018 |publisher= Airbus}}

The highest altitude obtained by a piston-driven propeller UAV (without payload) is {{convert|67028|ft|km|order=flip}}. It was obtained during 1988–1989 by the Boeing Condor UAV.{{cite web |url=http://www.boeing.com/history/boeing/condor.html |title=Boeing: History – Products – Boeing Condor Unmanned Aerial Vehicle |access-date=January 17, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101120114205/http://boeing.com/history/boeing/condor.html |archive-date=November 20, 2010 }}

The highest altitude obtained in a piston-driven propeller biplane (without a payload) was {{convert|17.083|km|ft|abbr=on}} on October 22, 1938, by Mario Pezzi at Montecelio, Italy in a Caproni Ca.161 driven by a Piaggio XI R.C. engine.{{cite web |url=http://www.fai.org/fai-record-file/?recordId=11713 |title=Fai Record File |access-date=June 30, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924043431/http://www.fai.org/fai-record-file/?recordId=11713 |archive-date=September 24, 2015 }}

The highest altitude obtained in a piston-driven propeller monoplane (without a payload) was {{convert|18.552|km|ft|abbr=on}} on August 4, 1995, by the Grob Strato 2C driven by two Teledyne Continental TSIO-550 engines.

The highest current world absolute general aviation altitude record for air breathing jet-propelled aircraft is {{convert|37.650|km|ft}} set by Aleksandr Vasilyevich Fedotov in a Mikoyan-Gurevich E-266M (MiG-25M) on August 31, 1977.{{Cite web |date=2017-10-10 |title=Alexandr Fedotov (URS) (2826) |url=https://www.fai.org/record/2826 |access-date= |website=World Air Sports Federation |language=en}}{{Cite book |last=Belyakov |first=Rostislav Apolossovitch |url=https://archive.org/details/migfiftyyearsofs0000bely/page/407 |title=MiG: Fifty Years of Secret Aircraft Design |date=1994 |publisher=Airlife |others=J. Marmain |isbn=1-85310-488-4 |location=Shrewsbury |page=407 |oclc=59850771 |url-access=registration}}

The record for highest altitude obtained by a crewed rocket-powered aircraft is the US Space Shuttle (STS) which regularly reached altitudes of more than {{convert|500|km|mi}} on servicing missions to the Hubble Space Telescope.

The highest altitude obtained by a crewed aeroplane (launched from another aircraft) is {{convert|112.010|km|ft|abbr=on}} by Brian Binnie in the Scaled Composites SpaceShipOne (powered by a Scaled Composite SD-010 engine with {{convert|18000|lbf|N|order=flip}} of thrust) on October 4, 2004, at Mojave, California. The SpaceShipOne was launched at over {{cvt|13.3|km|ft}}.

The previous (unofficial) record was {{convert|107.960|km|ft|abbr=on}} set by Joseph A. Walker in a North American X-15 in mission X-15 Flight 91 on August 22, 1963. Walker had reached 106 km – crossing the Kármán line the first time – with X-15 Flight 90 the previous month.

During the X-15 program, 8 pilots flew a combined 13 flights which met the Air Force spaceflight criterion by exceeding the altitude of {{convert|50|mi|km|order=flip}}, qualifying these pilots as being astronauts; of those 13 flights, two (flown by the same civilian pilot) met the FAI definition of outer space: {{convert|100|km|mi}}.Thompson, Elvia H.; Johnsen, Frederick A. (23 August 2005). "NASA Honors High Flying Space Pioneers" (Press release). NASA. Release 05-233.

The official record for a mixed power aircraft was achieved on May 2, 1958, by Roger Carpentier when he reached {{convert|24.217|km|ft|abbr=on}} over Istres, France in a Sud-Ouest Trident II mixed power (turbojet & rocket engine) aircraft.{{citation |magazine=Flight |url=http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1958/1958%20-%200607.html |title=Trident's 79,720ft |date=May 9, 1958 |page=623 |format=PDF |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141101231221/http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1958/1958%20-%200607.html |archive-date=November 1, 2014 }}

The unofficial altitude record for mixed-power-aircraft with self-powered takeoff was {{convert|120,800|ft|km|abbr=on|order=flip}} on December 6, 1963, by Major Robert W. Smith in a Lockheed NF-104A mixed power (turbojet and rocket engine) aircraft.{{cite web |author1=George J. Marrett |title=Sky High in a Starfighter |url=https://www.airspacemag.com/history-of-flight/sky-high-3270307/ |website=Air & Space Magazine |access-date=January 21, 2019 |date=November 2002}}

The highest altitude obtained by an electrically powered aircraft is {{convert|96,863|ft|km|order=flip}} on August 14, 2001, by the NASA Helios, and is the highest altitude in horizontal flight by a winged aircraft. This is also the altitude record for propeller driven aircraft, FAI class U (Experimental / New Technologies), and FAI class U-1.d (Remotely controlled UAV, weight {{cvt|500|to|2500|kg|lb}}).{{cite web|title=Aviation and Space World Records|url=http://www.fai.org/fai-record-file/?recordId=7354|publisher=Fédération Aéronautique Internationale|access-date=October 14, 2013|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131016223325/http://www.fai.org/fai-record-file/?recordId=7354|archive-date=October 16, 2013}}

On June 21, 1972, Jean Boulet of France piloted an Aérospatiale SA 315B Lama helicopter to an absolute altitude record of {{convert|40814|ft|km|order=flip}}.{{cite web |url=http://www.fai.org/fai-record-file/?recordId=11657 |title=Fai Record File |access-date=November 5, 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151208175503/http://www.fai.org/fai-record-file/?recordId=11657 |archive-date=December 8, 2015 }} At that extreme altitude, the engine flamed out and Boulet had to land the helicopter by breaking another record: the longest successful autorotation in history.{{cite book|author1=R. Randall Padfield|author2=R. Padfield|title=Learning to Fly Helicopters|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=CSmVLrllpKUC&pg=PA151|year=1992|publisher=McGraw Hill Professional|isbn=978-0-07-157724-3|page=151}} The helicopter was stripped of all unnecessary equipment prior to the flight to minimize weight, and the pilot breathed supplemental oxygen.

The highest altitude obtained by a paper plane was previously held by the Paper Aircraft Released Into Space (PARIS) project, which was released at an altitude of {{convert|27.307|km|ft}}, from a helium balloon that was launched approximately {{convert|80|km|mi}} west of Madrid, Spain on October 28, 2010, and recorded by The Register's "special projects bureau". The project achieved a Guinness world record recognition.{{cite web|url=http://regmedia.co.uk/2012/02/15/paris_cert_big.jpg|title=Guinness World Record certificate|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304041917/http://regmedia.co.uk/2012/02/15/paris_cert_big.jpg|archive-date=March 4, 2016}}

Haines, Lester. [https://www.theregister.co.uk/2012/02/17/paris_guiness/ PARIS soars to Guinness World Record: Highest paper plane launch ever] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160826184521/http://www.theregister.co.uk/2012/02/17/paris_guiness/ |date=August 26, 2016 }}, February 17, 2012.

This record was broken on 24 June 2015 in Cambridgeshire, UK by the Space Club of Kesgrave High School, Suffolk, as part of their Stratos III project. The paper plane was launched from a balloon at {{convert|35.043|km|ft}}.{{cite web|url=https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/highest-altitude-paper-plane-launch#:~:text=The%20highest%20altitude%20paper%20plane,high%20school%20science%20club%20activity.|title=Highest altitude paper plane launch, Guinness World Records|access-date=January 17, 2022 }}{{cite web|url=https://www.theregister.com/2015/09/03/paper_plane_launch_record/|title=Brit school claims highest paper plane launch, The Register|date=September 3, 2015|access-date=January 17, 2022 }}

The current world-record for highest cannon projectile flight is held by Project HARP’s {{cvt|16|in|mm|order=flip}} space gun prototype, which fired a {{cvt|180|kg|lb}} Martlet 2 projectile to a record height of {{convert|180|km|ft mi}} in Yuma, Arizona, on November 18, 1966. The projectile’s trajectory sent it beyond the Kármán line at {{cvt|100|km|mi}}, making it the first cannon-fired projectile to do so.Graf, Richard K. "A Brief History of the HARP Project". Encyclopedia Astronautica. astronautix.com. Retrieved August 14, 2013.

The Paris Gun (German: Paris-Geschütz) was a German long-range siege gun used to bombard Paris during World War I. It was in service from March–August 1918. Its {{convert|106|kg|lb|adj=on}} shells had a range of about {{convert|130|km|abbr=on|-1}} with a maximum altitude of about {{convert|42.3|km|abbr=on}}.

• Fédération Aéronautique Internationale
• High-altitude balloon
• High-altitude military parachuting
• High-altitude platform station

{{notelist|1}}

{{Reflist|2}}

• Andrews, C.F. and E.B. Morgan. Vickers Aircraft since 1908. London:Putnam, 1988. {{ISBN|0-85177-815-1}}.
• Angelucci, Enzo and Peter M. Bowers. The American Fighter. Sparkford, UK:Haynes Publishing Group, 1987. {{ISBN|0-85429-635-2}}.
• Bridgman, Leonard. Jane's All The World's Aircraft 1951–52. London: Sampson Low, Marston & Company, Ltd, 1951.
• [http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1924/1924%20-%200073.html?tracked=1 "Eighteen Years of World's Records"]. Flight, February 7, 1924, pp. 73–75.
• Lewis, Peter. British Racing and Record-Breaking Aircraft. London:Putnam, 1971. {{ISBN|0-370-00067-6}}.
• Owers, Colin. "Stop-Gap Fighter:The LUSAC Series". Air Enthusiast, Fifty, May to July 1993. Stamford, UK:Key Publishing. ISSN 0143-5450. pp. 49–51.
• Taylor, John W. R. Jane's All The World's Aircraft 1965–66. London:Sampson Low, Marston & Company, 1965.
• [http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1920/1920%20-%201272.html "The Royal Aero Club of the U.K.: Official Notices to Members"]. Flight December 16, 1920.

{{Commons category|Flight altitude record holders}}

• Fédération Aéronautique Internationale {{Official website|http://www.fai.org/records}} –the international, non-profit, non-government organization that tracks aircraft world records
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20160908172221/http://www.fai.org/record-ballooning Balloon World Records] Fédération Aéronautique Internationale
• [http://stratocat.com.ar/fichas-e/1960/HMN-19600816.htm Excelsior III] Details of Kittingers' Jump from a stratospheric balloon in 1960
• [http://www.ctre.iastate.edu/research/balloon/index.htm Iowa State University – High Altitude Balloon Experiments in Technology]
• {{cite web|url=http://hypertextbook.com/facts/1997/CassandraEng.shtml|title=Altitude of the Highest Manned Balloon Flight|work=The Physics Factbook|first=Cassandra|last=Eng|year=1997}}

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