A helium-filled balloon piloted by an American and a Russian landed safely off the coast of Mexico early Saturday after an audacious, nearly trip across the Pacific Ocean that shattered two long-standing records for ballooning, AP reported. The pilots landed 4 miles (6 kms) offshore in Baja California about 300 miles north of the popular beach destination of Cabo San Lucas, greeted by a team of balloon enthusiasts who assisted with the landing. The pilots came in low and dropped thick trailing ropes into the ocean to help slow the balloon before setting down in a controlled water landing. Mission Control in Albuquerque was packed with balloon team members and the pilots' families, as all eyes focused on a giant screen showing a map of the coast and the balloon's location as it descended. They exchanged hugs and smiled with relief after it touched down. Troy Bradley of Albuquerque and Leonid Tiukhtyaev of Moscow lifted off from Japan Sunday morning, and by Friday, they beat what's considered the "holy grail" of ballooning achievements, the 137-hour duration record set in 1978 by the Double Eagle crew of Ben Abruzzo, Maxie Anderson and Larry Newman in the first balloon flight across the Atlantic. -- SPA 20:20 LOCAL TIME 17:20 GMT تغريد
