April 1999
(ISSN 0887-6061) is
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MAGAZINE
April 1999
Editor-In-Chief
Publisher
Tom Hamilton
Contributing Editors
Ron Behrmann, George Denniston,
Mike Rose, Peter Stekel
Columnists
Don Piccard
Staff Photographer
Ron Behrmann
Joseph Bore
Paul Hiffmeyer
Greg Livadas
whit landvater
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Bertrand Piccard and Brian Jones have become the first to circumnavigate the world
by balloon. Their 19plusdayjourneywasa remarkable feat. The obstacles that stood
intheir way were formidable. First they hadtonavigate into North Africa and position
themselves on the southern edge of the jet stream, a tactic also executed by Andy Elson
and Colin Prescott’s Cable and Wireless team. The point of this maneuver was to avoid
the political unrest and lackof over flight permission in the Middle East.
The jet stream’sstrongest flow inAsia wentup through the middle of China, the
same route taken by ICO Global. The Chinese didnot want to accommodate these two
teamsasit didforRichardBranson,Steve Fossett,andPer Lindstrand’sattemptlast
December. Both Elson and Piccard’s attempts would haveto stay south ofthe 26 parallel.
Trying to avoid China and ride the Pacific jet stream across the North America from the
southernedge isa verydifficultfeat. Elson’s teamattemptedto maneuvernorthward
usinglower level windsonce pastmainlandChina. There prospectswere dim at best.
They had little choice in making this attempt. To stay on the southern edge ofthe jet steam
would dumpthem outinthe Pacific withno where togo because of a blockinglower
pressuretrough.Eventuallya similar problemwouldstopthemfromheadingintoa
better positioninthe Pacific jet.
Days later, when the Breitling Orbiter reached the same position, the blocking lower
pressuretroughthatpreventedCableandWirelessfrommakingthetransitiontothe
subtropical jet had disappeared. This transition flow to another jet stream would be the
keytomaking the successfulflight.
Onceinthe subtropicaljetPiccard’steamwasnothomefree. The balloonstill
needed to positioned at just theright
pointinthe jet stream. Tofar north
andtheywouldbesuckedupover
theU.S.where thejetstreamwas
doing some very weird swings. From
theU.S.thetransitionacrossthe
Atlantic wouldalso be difficult. At
best, dumping them in northern Eu-
rope.
Skillfullythe team meteorolo-
gistpositionedthe balloon tocarry
itacrosscentralMexicoandthe
Caribbean. Although they lost some
speed,an dcon cernsabo utt he
amountof fuelremaining,thebal-
loon was able to catch the very fast jet stream across the Atlantic to North Africa. Finally
theycrossedtheirmostwesterlypositionandhadcompletedtheepicflight.With
sufficient fuel theyflew on toa morning landing inthe Egyptian dessert.
Good show Bertrandand Brian.
