On June 19, 2020 hang glider Owen Morse set a hang gliding world record by piloting 222.22 miles over California’s Owens Valley. He writes:

This flight was a dream come true for me. For six years I’ve been chasing the out-and-back world record, and this year, all the pieces of the puzzle finally came together beautifully.

My previous attempts had ended prematurely for a number of reasons – thunder storms on course line, a NOTAM due to a nearby forest fire, a harness pitch cord failure, and running out of daylight (another way of saying I had been flying too slowly). It takes a lot of things to go right to have success, and one significant thing going wrong can be the end of it all.

On June 19th, 2020 the winds were forecasted to be light and variable throughout the day at most elevations. Though there were not going to be any clouds along my planned course line, usable lift was expected to be just above 18,000 feet. Only two days before the summer solstice, I knew the number of daylight hours were on my side. The other thing I had going for me this year, was my new wing.

With the bearing tips, I’ve found that I don’t get pushed around anymore and I can put the wing exactly where I want it to be.

This guy was in the air for an insane 9:36 hours over his 222.22 mile journey. I can barely stay awake for that long, let alone do something like pilot a hang glider. If you’re wondering about bathroom breaks, he says he actually peed twice in the air. And since I have no idea if it’s possible to pee off a hang glider without also peeing your pants, I’m just going to assume you can’t because it’s funnier that way. So let’s completely ignore Owen’s incredible achievement and focus on the fact that he peed himself. Yay, now I don’t feel as bad because people who set world records also pee their pants.

Keep going for the video of his takeoff and landing. You can also watch a 3D replay of his flight path here.

Source: Geekologie – Owen Morse sets 222.22 mile hang gliding world record