Fedor Konyukhov. Master of the Wind. Around the World in a Balloon, or The Principles of Life of a Great Traveler

Fedor Konyukhov is a versatile traveler with a worldwide reputation. A yachtsman, mountaineer, polar explorer, aviator, and artist. Remarkably, all of these talents are combined in one person. The list of his world records takes up several pages and continues to grow. The author of the book, Oscar Konyukhov, is the son, like-minded companion, and manager of the famous traveler. He tells the story of how meticulously and painstakingly the unique round-the-world trip in a hot air balloon was prepared, as such a project is a real challenge to the elements and the physical capabilities of a person. It is important to anticipate, plan, and tie together hundreds of serious moments. This book is about what achievements are made of, it is for those who turn dreams into reality. The publication contains unique color photographs of the flight and its preparation, diary entries, and documents from the expedition headquarters archive. 11 days at an altitude of 10,000 meters, 3 oceans and 3 continents, extreme weather conditions - and only one person. In the fall of 2023, the film "Wind Master" was released, where the role of Fedor Konyukhov was played by Fedor Bondarchuk. "The events of July 2016 will forever be part of the history of world ballooning. Decades will pass before Fedor Konyukhov's records, set on the 'MORTON' air balloon, will be improved and broken. The Russian pilot managed to overcome a series of incredible challenges, setting two world records on his first attempt, ratified by the International Aviation Federation (FAI) and registered by the Guinness Book of Records: the fastest round-the-world flight in a hot air balloon - 268 hours 11 minutes, the greatest distance traveled by a solo pilot - 33,521 km. Fedor Konyukhov is the first person to successfully circumnavigate the globe in a hot air balloon on his first attempt. He finished at a point very close to the starting coordinates. Such an outstanding achievement is unlikely to be repeated."