Overview

• On May 24, Peng Yujiang was testing new equipment at 3,000 metres in the Qilian Mountains when a rare “cloud suck” updraft carried him above 8,500 metres in subzero conditions without oxygen.
• Video captured on his glider showed him coated in ice as he struggled to control the canopy amid whiteout, enduring temperatures down to −40°C and brief hypoxia before landing safely 30 kilometres from his launch site.
• On May 28, the Gansu Provincial Aviation Sports Association issued six-month flight bans to Peng for unauthorized flying and to Gu Zhimin for posting the footage without permission.
• Peng’s accidental ascent neared Ewa Wiśnierska’s 2007 paragliding altitude record of 9,946 metres, but authorities said the unregistered flight disqualifies it from official recognition.
• Peng is recovering from frostbite and hypoxia and has said he will refrain from flying until his suspension concludes.