俄羅斯熱氣球飛行家完成環球之旅

BBC News – Fyodor Konyukhov, 65, A Russian balloonist has set a new record for flying non-stop around the world, his support crew have said.

BBC新聞 – 俄羅斯熱氣球飛行家，65歲的費奧多.考紐科夫創造了不着陸環球飛行新紀錄，他的後勤人員說。

Konyukhov's balloon was said to have passed directly over the airfield in the Australian town of Northam where he began his journey 11 days ago. He landed safely about three hours after passing Northam.

考紐科夫的氣球據悉直接飛過了11天前他開始環球之旅的澳大利亞諾瑟姆鎮的機場。約三小時後他安全着陸。

If his record is confirmed by the World Air Sports Federation, he will have taken more than two days off the record set by American Steve Fossett in 2002.

如果他的紀錄得到世界航空運動聯盟的確認，他將把美國人史蒂夫.福塞特2002年創造的紀錄縮短兩天多。

Konyukhov's route took him from Australia to above New Zealand, the Pacific Ocean, South America, the Cape of Good Hope and the Southern Ocean.

考紐科夫的航線帶他從澳大利亞飛過了新西蘭，太平洋，南美洲，好望角和南大洋上空。

As he made his way back to Australia, his website reported his comments as a polar jet stream pushed him towards Antarctica. It is "scary to be so down south and away from civilisation," he said. "This place feels very lonely and remote. No land, no planes, no ships."

當他回身往澳大利亞飛時，一股極地高空射流把他推向南極洲，他的網站發表他的評論說：“往南去得這麼遠，遠離文明社會，真是嚇人。”他說。“這個地方感覺非常偏僻荒遠。沒有陸地，沒有飛機，沒有船。”

His crew said the balloon, which is 56m tall and uses helium and hot air, covered the route in 11 days and six hours, beating Fossett's record by more than two days.

他的團隊說，熱氣球高56米，使用氦氣和熱空氣，用11天6小時飛完全程，比福塞特的紀錄少用兩天多。

The American, who also started from Northam, took 13 days and eight hours in setting his record.

美國人福塞特也是從諾瑟姆啓程，用時13天8小時創造了他的紀錄。

There has been no immediate comment by the World Air Sports Federation.

世界航空運動聯盟未立即予以置評。