Wiltshire Explorer Attempts First Atlantic Crossing in Open-basket Hydrogen Balloon

Wiltshire explorer attempts first Atlantic crossing in open-basket #hydrogen balloon.

A thrill-seeker from Wiltshire is among the three pilots aiming to be the first to brave the elements and cross the Atlantic Ocean in an open-basket hydrogen #gas balloon next month. The crew, with a combined age of 200, consists of the Wiltshire resident and explorer Sir David Hempleman-Adams, 66, along with American balloon manufacturer Bert Padelt, 62, and Swiss scientist and entrepreneur Dr Frederik Paulsen, 72.

If successful in navigating the unique hydrogen balloon across the pond, they will be the oldest people to cross the Atlantic in an open basket gas balloon. Their route will take them from Maine in the US, over Newfoundland in Canada, across the Atlantic Ocean, and then over Ireland and Scottish waters before they land in Europe.

A thrill-seeker from Wiltshire is among the three pilots aiming to be the first to brave the elements and cross the Atlantic Ocean in an open-basket hydrogen gas balloon next month. The crew, with a combined age of 200, consists of the Wiltshire resident and explorer Sir David Hempleman-Adams, 66, along with American balloon manufacturer Bert Padelt, 62, and Swiss scientist and entrepreneur Dr Frederik Paulsen, 72.

If successful in navigating the unique hydrogen balloon across the pond, they will be the oldest people to cross the Atlantic in an open basket gas balloon. Their route will take them from Maine in the US, over Newfoundland in Canada, across the Atlantic Ocean, and then over Ireland and Scottish waters before they land in Europe.

Sir David will also become the only person to have flown across the Atlantic three times in an open basket balloon, having first achieved the feat in 2003 and completing it again in 2007. The adventurer described how he and his crew are becoming “more adventurous with age”.

During the crossing, the team will be collecting air samples as part of a scientific study supported by Basecamp Research.

It is hoped this will uncover new #microbes that could lead to the discovery of new natural proteins which could be used to develop new products such as medicines, biofuels or bioplastics.

Sir David added: “A balloon is the perfect platform to investigate a location where the biome has never been sampled and the scientists we’ve partnered with are extremely excited about what we might find and what they will be able to learn from our adventures.”

A secondary scientific study, to measure the impact of the Canadian forest fires, will also be undertaken during the challenge in collaboration with the Institute for Climate and #Atmospheric Science at the University of Leeds.

The team will be able to collect samples at between 6,000 to 8,000 feet, weather permitting, from a mid-Atlantic location at an altitude that has not been sampled before.

Source:Hydrogen-Central

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