Adventurer Sir David Hempleman-Adams's daughter sets new world record

Adventurer Sir David Hempleman-Adams’s daughter Alicia, 30, sets new world record by flying hot air balloon to 15,100ft

  • Alicia Hempleman-Adams, 30, endured temperatures as low as -30C (-22F)  
  • She flew an AX4 hot air balloon for an hour and 46 minutes at Calgary in Canada 
  • The basket is 3ft by 3ft and the balloon is the height of a double-decker bus 

The daughter of a British adventurer has smashed a world record after flying a hot air balloon to 15,100ft.

Alicia Hempleman-Adams, 30, endured temperatures as low as –30C (–22F) as she broke the women’s world record for altitude in a small hot air balloon.

The fashion consultant, from Bath, Somerset, flew an AX4 hot air balloon for an hour and 46 minutes at Calgary in Alberta, Canada, to achieve the new record.

Alicia Hempleman-Adams, 30, endured temperatures as low as –30C (–22F) as she broke the women’s world record for altitude in a small hot air balloon

The fashion consultant (pictured with her father Sir David Hempleman-Adams), from Bath, Somerset, flew an AX4 hot air balloon for an hour and 46 minutes at Calgary in Alberta, Canada, to achieve the new record

The AX4 category is one of the smallest in ballooning. 

The basket is 3ft by 3ft and the balloon is barely the height of a double-decker bus.

Miss Hempleman-Adams, who has held a hot air balloon licence for eight years, took the title from Pauline Baker, who set the previous record of 14,016ft in 2008. 

The AX4 category is one of the smallest in ballooning. The basket is 3ft by 3ft and the balloon is barely the height of a double-decker bus

Miss Hempleman-Adams, who has held a hot air balloon licence for eight years, took the title from Pauline Baker, who set the previous record of 14,016ft in 2008

She said: ‘It was pretty frightening up there. I’ve never felt so cold and at that height you feel very alone and a little bit helpless’

She also captured British records for altitude and duration. Miss Hempleman-Adams is the daughter of Sir David Hempleman-Adams, 63, who holds more than 20 hot air balloon world records. 

She said: ‘It was pretty frightening up there. I’ve never felt so cold and at that height you feel very alone and a little bit helpless. 

‘I grew up following my Dad’s exploits and he has been a huge inspiration.’ 

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