Flight Details
Deborah and Mike will launch from the Elementary School, Sussex, New Brunswick, Canada (45°43'31.73"N 65°31'8.50"W). The flight is expected to last up to 6 days.
The balloon's trajectory will be determined by the direction and speed of the wind. Therefore, the landing site could be anywhere on the eastern side of the Atlantic Ocean.
The wind direction at different altitudes can be used to steer the balloon. This requires good communication between Deborah & Mike and our meteorologist on the ground.
During the planning stage of the flight, the ground team will be coordinating with ATC and Search & Rescue agencies to ensure a safe passage for the balloon.
The first successful Transatlantic balloon flight was in 1978. There have been another 11 flights since then.
The list below has been derived from information on the internet, in books and from pilot & team records. Please advise any errors/omissions to us via the Contact Page.
The list does not include transits of the Atlantic made by Round-the-World flights.
Double Eagle II
Date 12th – 17th August 1978
Pilots Ben Abruzzo, Maxie Anderson and Larry Newman
Balloon Helium - Yost GB-55. 160,000 cu ft (4,530 m3). s/n 108. N50DE
Launch Presque Isle, Maine, USA 46°37'36.48"N 068° 1'16.58"W (00:42 UTC 12 August).
Landing Miserey, France 49° 0'50.23"N 001°16'14.76"E (1748 UTC 17 August)
Distance 5,001.22 km (2,700.44 nm)
Duration 137hrs 5mins 50sec (5.71 days)
Notes First Transatlantic Balloon Flight
Links The Spirit of ’78. The Flight of Double Eagle II (YouTube)
Virgin Atlantic Flyer
Date 2nd – 3rd July 1987
Pilots Per Lindstrand & Richard Branson
Balloon Hot Air - Colt 2500A. 2,290,000 cu ft (64,845 m³). s/n 1100. G-USUK
Launch Sugarloaf, Maine, USA
Landing Limavady, Northern Ireland. Then Ditched in Irish Sea
Distance 4,486.5 km (2,422.52 nm)
Duration 31hrs 41mins (1.32 days)
Notes First Transatlantic Hot Air Balloon Flight
Rosie O’Grady’s Balloon of Peace
Date 14th - 18th September 1984
Pilot Joe Kittinger
Balloon Helium. Yost GB-55. 106,000 cu ft (3,000 m³). AA-10. s/n 111. Reg N53NY
Launch Caribou, Maine, USA
Landing Montenotte, Italy
Distance 5,703.03 km (3,079.39 nm)
Duration 86 hrs (3.58 days)
Notes First Solo Transatlantic Balloon Flight
Links This Day In Aviation
Dutch Viking
Date 30th August - 2nd September 1986
Pilots Henk Brink, Willem Hageman & Evelien Brink
Balloon Roziere - Cameron Balloons R-225. 225,000 cu ft (6,370 m³). c/n 1230. PH-EIS
Launch St Johns, Newfoundland, Canada
Landing Almere, Nr Amsterdam, Netherlands (2:08 a.m. EDT)
Distance 4,057,732 km km (2,191.0 nm)
Duration 51h 14m (2.13 days)
Notes First Female Transatlantic Balloon Crew Member
La Ciudad de Helva
Date 8th - 14th February 1992
Pilots Thomas Feliu & Jesus Gonzales Green
Balloon Roziere. Cameron Balloons R-60. 60,000 cu ft (1,700 m³). s/n 2057. G-BRGU
Launch Hierro, Canary Islands
Landing Maturin, Venezuela
Distance 5,046 km (2,724.62 nm)
Duration 129h 10m (5.38 days)
Notes First Transatlantic Balloon Flight From East to West
Chrysler 1
Date 16th - 21st September 1992
Pilots Wim Verstraeten & Bertrand Piccard (Belgium)
Balloon Rozier. Cameron R-77. 77,000 cu ft (2,180 m³). s/n 2712. G-BUFA
Launch Bass Park Raceway. Bangor, Maine, USA. 44°47'25.49"N 068°46'57.80"W(0300 local (approx))
Landing Peque, Spain
Distance 4,931 km (2662.53 nm)
Duration 119 hrs 20 min (4.97 days)
Notes 1st Place in the Chrysler Transatlantic Challenge
Link Bangor Info
Chrysler 3
Date 16th - 21st September 1992
Pilots Don Cameron & Rob Bayly (UK)
Balloon Rozier. Cameron R-77. 77,000 cu ft (2,180 m³). s/n 2823. G-BUFC
Launch Bass Park Raceway. Bangor, Maine, USA. 44°47'25.49"N 068°46'57.80"W(0300 local (approx))
Landing Figueira da Foz, Portugal
Distance 4,823.725 km (2,602.94 nm)
Duration 124hrs 34mins 15sec (5.19 days)
Notes 2nd Place in the Chrysler Transatlantic Challenge
Link Bangor Info
Chrysler 5
Date 16th - 22nd September 1992
Pilots Richard Abruzzo & Troy Bradley (USA)
Balloon Rozier. Cameron R-77. 77,000 cu ft (2,180 m³). s/n 2825. G-BUFE
Launch Bass Park Raceway. Bangor, Maine, USA. 44°47'25.49"N 068°46'57.80"W(0300 local (approx))
Landing Sidi Amar El Kadmiri, near Casablanca, Morocco
Distance 5,340.20 km (2,883.48nm)
Duration 144 hrs 16 mins (6.01 days)
Notes 3rd Place in the Chrysler Transatlantic Challenge
Link Bangor Info
Peregrine
Date 18th - 22nd August 1994
Pilots Steve Fossett & Tim Cole
Balloon Roziere. Cameron R-77. 77,000 cu ft (2,180 m³). s/n 3228. G-BVJO
Launch Feildian Gardens, St.John's, Newfoundland, Canada 47°33'37.49"N 052°43'47.79"W (1130 Local 18AUG94)
Landing Trittau, Near Hamburg, Germany 53°36'36.60"N 010°21'54.60"E
Distance 4353.668 km (2350.8 nm)
Duration 75 hrs 20 mins (3.14 days)
Notes
Region Lorraine
Date 30th August – 5th September 2000
Pilots Laurent Lajoye & Christophe Houver
Balloon Roziere. Lindstrand LBL 77M. 77,000 cu ft (2,180 m³).
Launch St John, New Brunswick, Canada 45°17'42.00"N 066° 7'4.80"W (0357UTC 30AUG00)
Landing Saon, France 49°15'43.20"N 000°52'1.20"W (0636UTC 05SEP00)
Distance 4,726 km (2551.84 nm)
Duration 146 h 48 min 45 sec (6.12 days)
Notes First French Crossing of The Atlantic
Link Le Monde
Uniq Atlantic Challenge
Date 26th – 29th September 2003
Pilot David Hempleman-Adams
Balloon Roziere. Cameron R-90, 90,000 cu ft (2,550 m³). s/n 4751. G-BYZX
Launch Elementary School, Sussex, New Brunswick, Canada 45°43'31.73"N 065°31'8.50"W (0537UTC 26SEP03)
Landing Grange Farm, Stalmine, near Poulton-le-Fylde, Lancashire UK 53°53'59.89"N 002°57'50.86"W (1652UTC 29SEP03)
Distance 4,422 km (2,386 nm)
Duration 83hrs 14 mins 35 secs (3.47 days)
Notes First Transatlantic Balloon Flight in an Open Wicker Basket
Link This Day In Aviation
Toshiba Transatlantic Challenge
Date 3rd – 6th July 2007
Pilot David Hempleman-Adams
Balloon Helium. Padelt G-37. 37,000 cu ft (1,048m³). s/n 37TA. N66050
Launch St John’s Newfoundland 03JUL07 at 0000UTC
Landing Nolay, France 46°57'21.30"N 004°38'59.39"E (06JUL07 at 1727UTC)
Distance 4,227.10 km (2,282.45 nm)
Duration 89hrs 20mins (3.72 days)
Notes Smallest Balloon to Cross The Atlantic
Link Toshiba