Croat Becomes First Woman to Fly Solar-Powered Balloon & Enters History Books
- by croatiaweek
- in Sport
A Croatian aeronaut has entered the history books after becoming the first woman to fly a solar-powered balloon…
Croatian hot air balloon pilots national team member and President of the Zagreb Balloon Club, Marija Petrić Mikloušić, achieved the feat in the White Sands desert in New Mexico last week. It was the first time in the world a registered solar heat powered air balloon carrying a human person has floated more than 2 hours without touching the ground – and burning any gas.
“The flight lasted almost three hours and it proved that solar energy is sufficient for flying. This flight is the first step towards entirely green flying. Even though some parts of the balloon have yet to be adjusted to gain full control, years of research by world experts have yielded results,” Marija told Hina.
Marija goes into the history books
Petrić Mikloušić, who is also the only licensed solo hot air balloon pilot in Croatia and the only woman balloon navigator in the region, is no stranger to firsts. She was the first female to fly over Mount Olympus in Greece in 1999.
Marija’s flight was part of a project aimed at achieving the first solar-powered flight around the world and in the long run solar-powered space travel.
