Aug. 20 – Two Italian pilots from the Udine province made history when they defeated the world record for paragliding. Arduino Persello, a 45 year old state employee, and Nicole Fedele, a 28 year old translator already European Champion and World Champion, took off and landed in Sorica, Slovenia. They were in the air for 312 and 280 kilometers respectively. It took both of them approximately 9.5 hours to make the journey, which was immediate,y registered with the International Aeronautics Federation. After defeating a series of adversities, including bad weather and wrong winds, the two finally completed the two way journey, a much harder task to achieve than a one-way journey given the obligation to return to the point of departure. The current records for one-way journeys for paragliding and handgliding were made, respectively, in South Africa and Texas for 507km and 768km.
Paragliding: two Italians beat the world record
