Chinese paragliding pilot survives cloud flight without oxygen

Chinese paragliding pilot survives cloud flight without oxygen

The Chinese paraglider Peng Yujiang can count itself lucky, according to a violent upswing that raised him to the height of the Qilian mountains in the province of Gansu. On Saturday he reached an impressive height of 8,598 meters, which corresponds to about 28,208 feet, and without oxygen supply. Amateur shots that were shared by the Chinese state media show Peng, whose face and clothing were covered by ice while hovering through the clouds.

The dramatic climb

"I had just bought a used paraglideau and wanted to test it, so I carried out soil flail. After a while the wind suddenly increased and lifted myself up. I tried to land as quickly as possible, but I failed," Peng reported Chinese state television China Central Television (CCTV) on Tuesday.

an unexpected adventure in the clouds

"I was surrounded by cumulonimbus clouds, caught in it. It was scary - everything around me was white. Without the compass I would not have known in which direction I flew. I thought I was flown out, but in reality I shaved in circles. Finally, I managed to fly to the northeast," he added.

surprise and control

Peng was surprised to learn that he had reached such a high level and believes that he might have lost awareness for a short time, as the state media reported. Peng has more than four years of experience in paragliding and is a certified B-Level pilot, which requires at least 20 days of flight experience, according to CCTV.

fight against the cold

Although his hands were almost frozen and deaf, he was able to control his paraglider using his compass and via radio communication with his teammates, the state media report.

an overwhelming feeling of relief

"When I came out of the clouds, I was very excited because I had survived. The most frightening moment was when I tried to get out of the spiral flight and couldn't put it onto the floor while the umbrella. It is still terrifying to think about it," said Peng CCTV.

The future of paragliding flies

"I am unsure about the future, but for the time being I will definitely not fly for a while," he added.