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.

“It’s by far going to be the best designed gas balloon that I’ve ever built in my life,” Padelt said. “One of the goals of this flight is to break the current AA-9 duration and distance record and in order to do so we’d hopefully be flying into Europe and landing somewhere in either Germany or Poland.”