Three explorers aim to be first to cross Atlantic in a hydrogen balloon

Three pilots will attempt the first hydrogen open basket gas balloon crossing of the Atlantic next month.

British explorer Sir David Hempleman-Adams, 66, will be joined by American balloon manufacturer Bert Padelt, 62, and Swiss scientist and entrepreneur Dr Frederik Paulsen, 72, for the adventure.

The crew, with a combined age of more than 200, 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 Ireland and Scottish waters before they land in Europe.

People think we’re kind of crazy to be doing this but it really does make you feel alive to be pushing the boundaries and seeing just what is possible at any age

Sir David Hempleman-Adams

They will travel many thousands of miles during the trip, which is expected to take between four and five days in September, flying at an altitude of 6,000 to 8,000 feet.

If successful, it will be the first Atlantic crossing in a hydrogen balloon and may also mark the longest distance covered in this type of balloon.

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 explorer, from Wiltshire, described how he and his crew are becoming “more adventurous with age”.

“People think we’re kind of crazy to be doing this but it really does make you feel alive to be pushing the boundaries and seeing just what is possible at any age,” Sir David said.

“And, if anything, this is what keeps us feeling young at heart and fired up to enjoy every minute on this earth.”

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.

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

Bert Padelt

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.

They will carry the Explorers Club Flag on their balloon – an honour given to expeditions that further the cause of exploration and field science.

Mr Padelt said: “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.”

The adventure is supported by Torabhaig single malt whisky, a distillery located in the Isle of Skye, which will release a limited edition bottling inspired by it.

Two bottles of Torabhaig will also be on board the flight – one to mark a safe landing and the other to be auctioned for charity.

Dr Paulsen, who is behind the whisky company, said: “Our Torabhaig whisky fans are all explorers at heart, so we hope they enjoy following our journey and exploring the skies with us.

“The funds we raise will support Gaelic language education through boosting the incredible work of the Sabhal Mor Ostaig Gaelic Language School on the Isle of Skye. That will be quite the legacy.”

Richard Wiese, president emeritus of the Explorers Club, described the adventure as “quite extraordinary”.

He said: “I was surprised to hear of this extraordinary transatlantic balloon flight.

“A tiny number of explorers have crossed the Atlantic in a balloon and many fewer in an open basket, but this crew are all experienced explorers and the unique sampling of the air and organisms that they’ll be able to undertake is set to provide a meaningful contribution to human progress.”

The hydrogen balloon, named the Torabhaig Atlantic Explorer, is due to set off from Maine in September.

Hydrogen balloons are spherical balloons lifted by hydrogen, while hot air balloons work on heat from a burner under the balloon.