US Pilot Forced to End Atlantic Cluster Balloon Flight in Newfoundland BBC News
go to original September 14, 2013

Up Across The Atlantic: Balloonist Embarks On His Epic Journey Across Atlantic (barcroftmedia)

A US man has been forced to abandon his bid to cross the Atlantic in a lifeboat suspended by some 370 helium balloons because of technical problems.

An online post confirmed Jonathan Trappe had to quit his attempt over Newfoundland, but was "safe and well".

Mr Trappe lifted off from the city of Caribou in the state of Maine amid heavy fog at dawn on Thursday.

He previously completed successful cluster balloon voyages across the Alps and the English Channel.

Mr Trappe, an IT manager from North Carolina, had hoped to cover his "epic" 2,500-mile trip to Europe within six days.

But hours after take-off, the team overseeing his flight project confirmed the pilot's journey had been cut short and he was preparing to return home.



A GPS tracker shows the flight path of balloon aviator Jonathan Trappe before he was forced to abort his bid to cross the Atlantic in Newfoundland just 12 hours and 350 miles into the challenge.

Read the rest at BBC News

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