Two representatives of the Strength Sports Federation "Strongman" – Hristo Muskov and Velizar Mitov, separately pulled a 40-ton Airbus A220-300 passenger plane at Sofia's "Vasil Levski" airport.
Despite the challenges of the autumn day - piercing wind, cold rain, wet runway and temperature below 10 degrees - the two did not give up and achieved success, each of them pulling the nearly 40-ton machine alone a distance of 25 meters.
"There have been attempts to pull flights - 15-20 tons each, but no one has pulled a plane weighing 40 tons. This can be considered a kind of record," said Hristo Muskov, the multiple republican champion and holder of four world and four European titles in powerlifting. He added that the idea of pulling an airplane arose spontaneously.
"I gained 24 kilograms to be more stable. I pulled only on one leg today due to an injury, but I wanted to show that when you have the will, nothing is impossible", said Velizar Mitov, republican powerlifting champion and experienced strongman competitor.
„This is a unique demonstration of strength, courage and ambition. On the one hand, we saw the Airbus A220-300, which is an extremely modern machine, and on the other - the strength of spirit, the physical strength of these great men. The plane weighs 40 tons and is usually powered by two large engines that generate enormous thrust and allow this plane to fly at an altitude of 12,000 meters at a speed of about 900 km/h, or 0.8 of the speed of sound. With one charge, it can fly from one end of the continent of Europe to the other,“ said the pilot of the airline “Bulgaria Air“ Plamen Kovachev.
Today's performance will be submitted as an attempt to enter the Guinness Book of Records. "We hope to get feedback on the requirements next year and conduct an official trial," Muskov said.