The Circumnavigation of the Earth by Balloon

The Circumnavigation of the Earth by Balloon

Overview

On March 21, 1999, Swiss psychiatrist Bertrand Piccard and English balloon instructor Brian Jones became the first team to fly around the world by balloon, nonstop and without refueling, setting records for distance and duration, and winning a million-dollar purse staked by Anheuser-Busch. The three-week adventure, beginning in Switzerland and ending in Egypt, was an accomplishment in the history of exploration. Using new balloon designs and taking advantage of jet-stream developments, the team ended a 20-year quest and set a new milestone in the 200-year history of ballooning.

Background

The history of ballooning began in 1783 with a 25-minute ride at 3,000 feet (914 meters) above the city of Paris. In the years that followed, balloons developed in size and structure, and greater distances of flight and altitudes were achieved. In 1978 a three-man crew aboard the Double Eagle II, became the first to cross the Atlantic by balloon, from Presque Isle, Maine, to Miserey, France. The quest to push the limit of the balloon had begun.

In 1980 a father and son piloted their balloon, the Kitty Hawk, from Fort Baker, California, to Quebec in four days, becoming the first to cross a continent by balloon.

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