This happened a few weeks ago, but was just brought to our attention.
On November 26, 2005, Dr. Vijaypat Singhania piloted a hot air balloon to 69,852 feet (21,291 meters) shattering the existing record of 64,997 feet (19,811 meters) held by Per Lindstrand. Dubbed "Mission Impossible 70k", the balloon ascended at between 600-700 feet per minute, taking 2 hours and 14 minutes to attain the record breaking height.
To put this in perspective:
Mt Everest elevation: 29,035 feet (8,850 meters)
High end of commercial airline flights: 40,000 feet (12,192 meters)
and for the record to be certified by the Federation Aeronautique International (FAI), the pilot must fly his machine on his own, land with the balloon and capsule attached intact and survive for at least 24 hours after landing.
A U2 Bomber can fly at 90,000 ft.
