CZECH REPUBLIC: Paraglider pilot Miroslav Oros sets new world record by flying 9000 kilometers in 90 days

Record ID: 776981

  • Title: CZECH REPUBLIC: Paraglider pilot Miroslav Oros sets new world record by flying 9000 kilometers in 90 days
  • Date: 5th August 2011
  • Summary: BENEATH PELHRIMOV, CZECH REPUBLIC (AUGUST 4, 2011) (REUTERS) MAIN SQUARE MUSEUM OF RECORDS BUILDING (*** FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY ***) CZECH OFFICIAL IN CHARGE OF RECORDS, MIROSLAV MAREK, HANDING OROS RECORD CERTIFICATE OROS HOLDING CERTIFICATE OROS AND MAREK TALKING TO MEDIA / PARAGLIDER IN ROOM (SOUNDBITE) (Czech) CZECH OFFICIAL IN CHARGE OF RECORDS, MIROSLAV MAREK, SAYING "Miroslav Oros did break the old world record when he flew 9132 kilometers in 90 days on his engine paraglider. This took him 193 hours of flying at the height between 300 and 1800 meters." OROS EXPLAINING ROUTE OF HIS FLIGHT DRAWING SHOWING FLIGHT'S ROUTE (SOUNDBITE) (Czech) PARAGLIDER PILOT, MIROSLAV OROS, SAYING: "The old record belongs to Canadian Benjamin Jordan who flew 8008 kilometers in 2009. He was flying using the same equipment made by a Czech firm which I am using as well, we met here in Bohemia last summer. We did fly together for four days and as we were saying "Good bye" I told him - I will beat your record." CZECH BOOK OF RECORDS (SOUNDBITE) (Czech) PARAGLIDER PILOT, MIROSLAV OROS, SAYING: "Weather is the worst enemy and at the same time the best friend. It can help you when the good wind pushes you in the back and you cover many kilometers. The track was planned and I was not allowed (according to the record rules) to change it in any way. I had to start where I landed before. I was unable to cross the country by car to use just the good wind. Not far from here at the highland in Chotebor town we did catch the storm and I was stuck there for six days even if in other part of the country the weather was nice." UNKNOWN LOCATION, CZECH REPUBLIC (FILE, MAY 2011) (MIROSLAV OROS) VARIOUS OF OROS PARAGLIDING
  • Embargoed: 20th August 2011 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Czech Republic, Czech Republic
  • Country: Czech Republic
  • Topics: Quirky,Light / Amusing / Unusual / Quirky,Sports
  • Reuters ID: LVA91YREY4A8RP6FCAJ6DZ5JPKUO
  • Story Text: Czech paraglider pilot Miroslav Oros set a Czech and world record by covering distance of 9132 kilometers in 90 days.
    On Thursday, August 4, he was awarded a record certificate in the Czech town of Pelhrimov, which is called "the town of records".
    "Miroslav Oros did break the old world record when he flew 9132 kilometers in 90 days on his engine paraglider. This took him 193 hours of flying at the height between 300 and 1800 meters," said Miroslav Marek, Czech official in charge of records at a ceremony at Pelhrimov museum of records.
    Oros, who runs a media agency, is a passionate paraglider pilot. He dreamt of breaking the previous record set by Canadian pilot Benjamin Jordan, for months.
    "The old record belongs to Canadian Benjamin Jordan who flew 8008 kilometers in 2009. He was flying using the same equipment made by a Czech firm which I am using as well, we met here in Bohemia last summer. We did fly together for four days and as we were saying "Good bye" I told him - I will beat your record," said Oros.
    It took him four months to prepare for the record. Oros started his flight, which he called XCzech Gala Tour, on April 2 and finished it on June 30. The route of the flight had been planned in such a way that Oros had been flying above 139 orphanages in the Czech Republic. On his trip he also visited 17 orphanages and told children about the project.
    Oros was able to fly 68 days out of 90 and landed 111 times. Each start and landing had to be registered by at least two people, in accordance with the rules set by the Guinness Book of Records.
    "Weather is the worst enemy and at the same time the best friend. It can help you when the good wind pushes you in the back and you cover many kilometers. The track was planned and I was not allowed (according to the record rules) to change it in any way. I had to start where I landed before. I was unable to cross the country by car to use just the good wind. Not far from here at the highland in Chotebor town we did catch the storm and I was stuck there for six days even if in other part of the country the weather was nice," said Oros.
    Cold weather posed another obstacle to Oros on his way to the record. At the beginning of April the temperature at 1000 meters above the ground was minus 15 Celcius.
    Czech officials in charge of records are preparing documentation necessary to add Oros's record to the Guinness Book of Records and Oros meanwhile plans another trip - this time on double paraglider. He wants to invite celebrities to fly with him and to collect money for orphanages he had visited.
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