A new attempt to fly a balloon across the Atlantic Ocean is being prepared in Presque Isle, Maine.
The same team made a gallant attempt last year and after a perfect start they learned, after some hours flying, a change in the weather forecast meant they would not have sufficient ballast to safely cross the ocean and they landed in New Brunswick, Canada.
The meteorologist is watching and waiting for perfect weather conditions and the launch window opens on Thursday 1st May.
The team’s website is here and says, ” The Torabhaig Atlantic Explorer gas balloon, co-piloted by Sir David Hempleman-Adams and Bert Padelt, will take flight as part of an audacious adventure of old friends on a journey that will look for new scientific discoveries while aiming to become the first ever flight of an open basket hydrogen balloon across the Atlantic.
The crew consists of the three oldest people who have ever been bold enough to cross the Atlantic in an open basket gas balloon. With a combined age of over 200, the co-pilots, world record holding British adventurer, Sir David Hempleman-Adams (British, 66 years) and Bert Padelt (American, 62 years), a balloon manufacturer who has been inducted in the US Ballooning Hall of Fame, will be accompanied by explorer, scientist and entrepreneur, Dr Frederik Paulsen (Swedish, 72)”
Bert Padelt built the balloon and says, ““It has been a boyhood dream of mine to fly across the Atlantic in a balloon. I’d planned to do this pre-pandemic and it’s starting to feel like it’s now or never. Thankfully, David agreed, as I can think of no one I feel safer to do this journey with than him. It’s a very small basket for such a long journey so we all need to be tight, in every sense of the word.”
This picture shows how much equipment and sand ballast is needed for three men in a basket to cross the Atlantic. We wish them a safe and successful flight.
After they launch, you can track their progress here.