by Bill Murtorff
Yes the race is on and I am not one of the contenders. How does that make me feel? A little left out I guess. There are at least 6 contestants for the Around the World thing if you haven't guessed yet. There could be more. Who knows what is going on in Central Africa or the mountains of Tibet. I actually had a friend call me and say he thought he had the financing. He said that delivery date from Cameron for the balloon would be late February. He felt the deed might be done or at least the season over by the time he got everything together. He even hinted that there might be a place for me in the cabin with him. An interesting proposition. If no one succeeds this year, and the Bud people will leave their $1 million offer on the table, it could be crowded skies for next year. If no one succeeds this year, maybe there needs to be some rethinking of how the problems are to be solved. Bigger balloon, different fuel who knows. Maybe they don't have the answers yet.
I believe that if no one makes the flight this season there will be more in the race next year. I intend to be one of them. I believe that I can find a sponsor that will pony up between $500 thousand and a $1 million for the things needed to cover the trip. I don't think you need all the special electronics that most of the current flyers have on board. I think you need to be sure that you have plenty of drinking water and a large supply of good food. None of those C rations or MRIs for me. It's healthy oatmeal for breakfast and maybe a steak or ribs for supper. That's the only way to travel. And who would I travel with?
Top of the line guys are Joe Kittinger or Don Piccard. But then, after the flight was finished I would always be known as "The Passenger." I want better than that. I have thought that the person who shares the gondola and it would be a gondola that I could sail to land if I fell a little short, might be one who knows aviation to read the maps and handle the radio and stuff. I can fly a balloon. Maybe the person I select might just be a great cook. Who cares about the radio and things like that. As long as the TV worked, no problem. I really don't think anyone would shoot me down. My sponsor would be angry and the Bud people might cut them off.
I guess that's all the basics you need to know about my flight. Don't want to tell too many secrets. So if you can handle avionics and cook, you might apply for the job. Send a picture though. I don't want to wake up looking at some ugly person every day for a month.
>