Fox Valley Composite Squadron, the local unit of the Illinois Wing, Civil Air Patrol (CAP), recently set the new Guinness World Record for the "highest paper airplane flight from a high altitude balloon," which they launched from a 96,563 foot altitude from a balloon.
It was mentioned that the paper airplane was launched from Kankakee, Illinois and was released from the balloon from a dizzying altitude of 96,563 feet (18.3 miles straight up into the Stratosphere), breaking the prior record of 89,591 feet, then safely landed, 82 miles away, Southwest of Rochester, Indiana.
The aircraft was then tethered to a large helium weather balloon and launched to altitude, where the balloon burst and the paper airplane's flight computer cut itself away for its record-breaking flight.
It was also outfitted with a GPS tracking system, temperature sensors, barometric pressure sensor, flight computer, batteries, solar panel and HD video camera to record the entire historic flight.
However, the new world record would be considered unofficial until the squadron submits all required documentation and evidence to Guinness.
