July 9, 2008 - The Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FAI) has ratified Rich Jaworski's claim to a new AX-4 distance record.
FAI has ratified the following Class A (Free balloons) records:
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Claim number : 14938
Size category :AX-04 (Hot-air balloons: 600 to 900 m3)
Category: General
Type of record : Distance
Course/location : Grand Forks, ND (USA) - Siren, WI (USA) Performance : 417.7 km
Pilot : Richard L. JAWORSKI (USA)
Balloon : Cameron Balloons RJ-32
Date :20.01.2008
Previous record : 341.36 km (04.03.2001 - Oscar LINDSTRÖM, Sweden)
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FAI congratulates the pilot on this splendid achievement.
March 14, 2008 - Rich Jaworski has been selected by the Ballooning Commision of the Federation Aeronautique International as the 2007 recipient of the Montgolfier Diploma for outstanding performance in a hot air balloon. The Montgolfier Diploma was created in 1960, and each year, four diplomas are available for gas, hot air, Rozier, and contribution to the development of the sport of ballooning in general. Past recipients have included Ed Yost and Bruce Comstock (1976), and Joe Kittinger (1983). (See the FAI website for a list of all previous awards).
Rich's nomination was drafted by Orv Olivier and submitted to the BFA, which approved it, then forwarded it to the FAI through the National Aeronautic Association, the United States' Aero Club and our representative body to the FAI. At the March 5-8, 2008 meeting of the FAI Ballooning Commision in Salzburg, Austria, Rich's nomination was considered, along with the nomination of David Hempleman-Adams, and Rich was selected as the 2007 award winner. Congratulations, Rich Jaworski!!
January 19-20, 2008 - On the coldest weekend of the winter, Rich and crew (Matthew Grote, Wayne Mohring and Orv Olivier) set off once again for Grand Forks, ND in another bid for the record books. Lifting off from the Grand Forks Country Club at 9:20 AM on January 19, Rich flew 259 miles over the next 19 hours before landing on the frozen surface of Big Doctor Lake in Siren, Wisconsin at 4:30 the next morning. While the flight's duration was less than expected, the distance should be a new AX-4 record, eclipsing the previous 212.1 mile (341.36 km) record set by Oscar Lindstrom in April, 2001. Congratulations, Rich!
February 4-5, 2007 - Rich Jaworski has set two new world records in an amazing 23 hour 11 minute flight. Rich's incredible oddysey began shortly after 10 AM in Grand Forks, ND on Sunday, Februrary 4, and concluded just before 9:30 AM on Monday, February 5 about 9 miles west of Page, ND. Throughout Rich's flight, temperatures hovered well below zero, ranging from -25°F at launch, to a "high" of -15°F on Sunday afternoon. Assisting Rich on his flight were NBC member and pilot Matthew Grote as Crew Chief, Mike and Shirley Leimbach and Sue Markl, all of Sioux Falls, SD, as crew, with Mike acting as FAI Observer, and Joanne Ragle and Tom Peterson back in Omaha operating the Adventure of the Heart communication center. You can see a plot of Rich's course, follow the flight log, and see photos of the flight at Rich's website .
Rich's flight duration shattered the old mark (see below) set by him in Adventure of the Heart nearly one year ago. Rich and Mike will now submit documentary evidence of the flight to the NAA, the US delegate to the FAI for ratification of his record achievment. Please join with us in saluting Rich Jaworski for his outstanding effort!
May 31, 2007 - The National Aeronautic Association has notified Rich that his flight is a United States Record, and has been forwarded to the forwarded to the Federation Aeronautique Internationale in Switzerland for approval as a World record.&nbps; Further, Orv Olivier has stated, "In addition, this flight qualifies as such a major balloon flight accomplishment, that you will be nominated by the BFA for the International FAI ballooning award, the Mongolfier Diploma. Congratulations again!"
Congratulations indeed, Rich!
July 25, 2006 The Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FAI) has ratified Rich Jaworski's claim to two duration records (AX-4 and AX-5). Said Rich, "Thanks so much again to everyone for making this possible."
FAI has ratified the following Class A (Free balloons) records:
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Claim number : 13160
Size category AX-04 (Hot-air balloons: 600 to 900 m3)
General Category Type of record : Duration
Course/location : Blair, NE (USA)
Performance : 13 h 12 min
Pilot : Richard JAWORSKI (USA)
Balloon : Cameron Balloons RJ-32
Date : 18.02.2006
Previous record : 8h 39 min (20.03.1986 - Coy FOSTER, USA)
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Claim number : 14015
Size category AX-05 (Hot-air balloons: 900 to 1 200 m3)
General Category Type of record : Duration
Course/location : Blair, NE (USA)
Performance : 13 h 12 min
Pilot : Richard JAWORSKI (USA)
Balloon : Cameron Balloons RJ-32
Date : 18.02.2006
Previous record : 12h 21 min (10.02.2001 - William CLONINGER, USA)
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FAI congratulates the pilot on his splendid achievement.
Several NBC members assisted Rich in the flight. See the entire story at www.huntel.net/adventure.
Rich was also named 2005 Nebraska State Champion Hot Air Balloon Pilot by the BFA, based on his standing in the BFA's year end National Ranking List. This is in addition to his being named Pilot of the Year at the Iowa Balloonist Association annual meeting on March 4. Congratulations, Rich!
May 12, 2006. The May/June 2006 issue of Ballooning, the journal of the BFA, featured a cover story on Rich Jaworski's record-setting flight. The five-page article is accompanied by photos taken by NBC members Joanne Ragle, Pam James, Matthew Grote, and Luckie Lawrence. Rich offered a preview of the article in the March edition of the NBC newsletter.
Also featured in the same issue of Ballooning was an interview with pionnering balloonist Rob Bartholomew. Rob learned to fly balloons just a couple of years after Rich, so it is fitting that these two seasoned veterans of LTA appear in the same publication.