An expedition to the South Pole started in St. Petersburg

The expedition members are aimed at establishment of new sport records and achievements. The first Russian heat aerostat will be raised in Antarctica as well as for the first time in the world Russian aviators will perform a parachute dive onto the South Pole from the basket of an air balloon.

Besides, on the South Pole the members of the expedition will raise the flag of the city on the Neva, together with the Russian banner which they were given by the Russian Federation Council chairman Sergei Mironov.

The expedition is held in the framework of the “Heaven Odissey of Alexander Begak” project. The project opened in June 2002 with a flight of the pilot-constructor Begak from St. Petersburg to Moscow on a super-light air vehicle “Skarabei” which represents the parachute with a motor.

News source: kommersant.ru