by Tom Hamilton
World Quest
Dick Rutan and Dave Melton have
announced a new attempt to circumnavigate the earth in a project known as
World Quest. They have elected to fly in the Southern Hemisphere, and are
designing a super-pressure balloon system that will overcome the limitations
they fill exist with Rozier lift systems.
"We have already completed fabrication of our pressurized crew capsule, and are extremely pleased that Barron Hilton also believes in our new approach," Rutan said. "We are looking to complete our funding by the first of the year so we can take off from Chile around July of 1999."
Rutan and Melton flew the Global Hilton balloon in January of this year, a mission that was cut short when the helium cell inside the Rozier's hot-air envelope failed as it reached float altitude. Melton has made two other world flight attempts as a member of the Earthwinds Hilton balloon crew in the early `90s. He will serve as World Quest's pilot, while Rutan will serve as project director and aircraft commander.
"We learned a great deal about our life-support and lift systems during our development of the Global Hilton," Melton said. "We now have experience on our side, and rather than buy a system off the shelf, we will design a balloon of our own which we feel can do the job."
Global Hilton sponsors Pepsi, Hilton Hotels Corporation and its chairman, Barron Hilton, have contributed funds for fabrication of a new crew capsule. Barron Hilton has also pledged to meet 25 percent of World Quest's remaining budget. That leaves Rutan and Melton a little more than $500,000 away from their fundraising goal.
Rutan and Melton have elected to fly in the Southern Hemisphere, and are designing a superpressure balloon system. Instead of using the single cell lifting envelope, World Quest will utilize four super-pressure cells. Even in the event of a cell rupture the World Quest Project can continue to fly using the three remaining cells.
"We are looking to complete our funding so we can take off from [Santiago], Chile around July of 1999," Rutan told Balloon Life.
For more information visit their web site at http://www.transglobalballoon.com/.
The Global Conqueror
Three South Africans have announced their intention
to circumnavigate the globe by balloon. The flight team is composed of Gerrit
Coetzee, project leader and South African lawyer, Terry Adams, balloon designer
and champion balloonist, and Bill Harrop, director of a commercial balloon
company and champion balloonist.
The team's press information says, "The team are levelheaded and able to withstand utmost hardship, should prolonged periods of extremely low temperatures, lack of oxygen and of rest, constant tension and discomfort in a confined area occur.
"They are undergoing physical and psychological tests and are also undergoing fitness training. A large ground crew consisting of meteorologists, advisors, film production crew, Control Center crew, land and air operators and general help nationally and internationally is assembled."
Cameron Balloons UK will be building the Rozier balloon system for the team. Alan Noble, a director of Cameron Balloons UK, will be in charge of operations for the flight.
For more information visit The Global Conqueror web site at http://www.tn.co.za/balloon/
