Great feats require extraordinary effort. In January, three balloon teams attempted to become the first at flying a balloon around-the-world. Last month we told you part of their stories. In this issue two of the participants tell, in their own words, what took place as they attempted to write their names into aviation history.
Balloon Life spoke with Steve Fossett and Per Lindstrand soon after they returned home. They tell of their efforts and disappointments while reaching for the brass ring. Glen Moyer spoke with Steve Fossett from his home in Colorado. Steve now believes that he is the leader in becoming the first to make it all the way. With a flight of half way under his belt he certainly has earned the bragging rights.
I talked with Per Lindstrand from his factory in England. He was candid and honest about what went wrong. He was also very confident that his endeavors would bear the most fruit. While he refused, rightfully so, to discuss balloon fabric, he does feel that his design will prove to be the one that passes the test.
While these two aeronauts attempted to navigate the skies their stories are but a part of the saga in these epic attempts. Great adventures make for great stories. While the attention is focused on the pilots, they alone do not a full story make. Balloon Life spoke with Bruce Erickson, launch master for the Virgin Global Challenger. Bruce's story begins with how he became involved with the Virgin team and concludes with how he and his team recovered the capsule from Algeria. As many of our readers know, the chase is often better than the flight.
We had planned to announce the winner of our First Flight Certificate Contest in this issue. Because of some scheduling problems our jury of outside judges was not able to complete their task in time for the March deadline. The winner of the $200 prize will be announced in the April issue (no joke) along with the winning entry and some commentary about how some of these certificates came to be.
A number of certificates arrived with their accompanying mementos, like a bottle of champagne. Lest the judges be unfairly influenced by such tastes the staff has withheld those items from their consideration. Look for a great report on this exciting contest. And, keep your eyes open for the next contest. Balloon Life has planned a number of contests involving various types of certificates for 1997.
Don't miss Glen Moyer's review of the 25th Kodak Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta video on page 28. Bill Bussey, who acted as host of the video, may have a new future. I have little doubt that Bill's sincere enthusiasm for the sport of ballooning displayed in this production will encourage many home viewers to find out how much fun the rest of us are having when we fly.