Yevgeny Andreyev (colonel)
Yevgeny Andreyev | |
|---|---|
The Volga balloon gondola with his portrait at right | |
| Birth name | Yevgeny Nikolayevich Andreyev |
| Born | 4 September 1926 |
| Died | 9 February 2000 (aged 73) |
| Allegiance | Soviet Union |
| Rank | Colonel |
| Awards | Hero of the Soviet Union |
Yevgeny Nikolayevich Andreyev (Russian: Евгений Андреев; 4 September 1926 – 9 February 2000) was a colonel in the Soviet Air Force. He set an official record for the longest-distance free-fall parachute jump on 1 November 1962, which the Guinness Book of Records put at 24,500 metres (80,400 ft). The previous record holder for highest free-fall jump was Joseph Kittinger. Although Andreyev did not break the record for highest parachute jump, also held by Kittinger, Kittinger's jump was stabilized by a drogue parachute and therefore not free-fall. Andreyev was awarded the Hero of the Soviet Union for his feat.
Andreyev's record stood until 2012, when Felix Baumgartner broke it with a jump from 39,000 metres (128,000 ft).