London - The British and Swiss pilots of the Breitling Orbiter 3 round-the-world balloon attempt last night broke the official distance record for an unfuelled non-stop flight.
Brian Jones and Bertrand Piccard celebrated as they passed the 14,235-mile mark set last year by US balloonist Steve Fossett. As they claimed the record, the two pilots were undertaking the final checks on their craft before attempting to join a jet-stream which should speed them across the Pacific.