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THE GREAT NON-STOP AROUND THE WORLD BALLOON RACE
Chapter Fourteen - February 15, 1999 About the only thing that has changed since we last visited the GREAT NON-STOP AROUND THE WORLD BALLOON RACE is the weather … and that, as far as RTW launch opportunities, has been awful. This has given us a chance to look critically at all phases of the endeavor. In previous Chapters we have followed the adventures of each entrant and grown in understanding that each has its own motivation for an attempt. Some have been involved out of pure desire to be the first because the challenge was there and trying to win is a great adventure. Others strictly because of the prize money and subsequent earning power. And others to promote a cause or a business enterprise. Most have been straight forward with the media and the public. Some have not. In Chapter Thirteen we repeated a previously published rumor that Bob Martin had been "forced out" of a seat aboard the Team RE/MAX balloon. We have been assured by a member of his family that his withdrawal was purely voluntary and prompted by his judgement of what was best for his concept to succeed. We departed from our own rules because of our dislike of the RE/MAX "hard sell" on the website and now apologize for having departed from reporting only the facts. Mr. Liniger has contributed big money for the right to offer his version of the facts about the aborted flight and is entitled to do so. We are still of the opinion that distortion of the truth by deliberate omission of pertinent information was deceptive & counter-productive to the flight and its advertising mission. A friendly Ph.D. who formerly worked in our space program wrote some time ago that his version of quantum physics and application of modern materials & methods showed that old objections to utilizing vacuum technology for lighter than air aircraft use are no longer valid. He is now putting everything together and will prepare a RTW entry when he is ready. He is not a balloonist and needs experienced guidance. Breitling Orbiter 3 has received Chinese overflight permission subject to some stringent conditions. Pilots Piccard and Jones signed a covenant at the Chinese embassy in Berne, Switzerland in order to secure it. Details are on their website and that of the Virgin Global Challenger. This does not solve the overflight objections of several other countries, however, and has been characterized as being little better than none at all. They state that they are ready to go and are now held up only by the weather with the earliest possible launch date being February 16th, subject to constant re-evaluation of conditions. Meanwhile, things are pretty much the same as before with the other teams at the ready or nearly ready to go stage except for the Global Conqueror and the World Quest which are still working on their funding. No word from Dick Rutan and Dave Melton about World Quests efforts since before Christmas. The silence is deafening! The Global Conqueror's website is down again for a rebuild and is expected to be back up soon with an exciting announcement. Any Southern Hemisphere balloon is unconcerned about China or other political problem as they could fly over, possibly, 19 friendly countries on their Southern Hemisphere routes. Belgian adventurer & balloonist, Fons Oerlemans, 60, announced that he and a Dutch airline stewardess, Mariette Sonneveldt, 29, would try for a new balloon altitude record and a RTW trip this spring. She was picked from hundreds who answered his ad for a young female companion to share a thrilling adventure. They would launch from Mexico or Mauritania this spring. No name has been given to the venture and it has no website yet. The whole thing is being taken with a grain of salt by many serious balloonists who say his figures don't add up right. Others caution that his unconventional low-tech methods have paid off for him in other adventures in the past such as crossing the Atlantic on a raft and in a truck. Other Northern Hemisphere balloons must consider avoidance of Russian, Iraqi, Iranian, Libyan and Chinese airspace as well as meteorological factors. China seems to have legitimate concerns in that their voice air traffic control system does not have modern radar to prevent midair collisions in their busy airspace. Many of their flight controllers speak nothing but Chinese so that even if a balloon reported its position accurately and frequently they could not understand. Some old China hands say this is hogwash and they are just over-concerned with security. One pilot says that all totalitarian countries have a deep distrust of anything they can't control and says, "Why don't they just turn off the wind over their countries? Then they wouldn't have to worry about it." A very profound question. Richard Branson, Steve Fossett, and Per Lindstrand are researching South America, South Africa, and the Australian area for a spring launch site. I've just read a report from Tasmania that says it might be under consideration for a launch around the end of May. Strangely enough there is no mention of ICO in these early dispatches. Perhaps it's just little premature to fire up the publicity machine but we have no website pegged as yet. The weather has not been good for the teams that are ready to go. Some meteorologists are saying that predictability is down to two days and that isn't enough for a safe trip. The Cable and Wireless balloon with Andy Elson and Colin Prescot are going to try to avoid China by attempting a more Southerly Route. They started a 72 Hour countdown to launch, Sunday, 14 February at 11:55:09 GMT, which will put them in the air, weather permitting, some time Wednesday, 17 February. What will happen if an ill wind accidentally blows them towards Chinese air space? So far a needed jet stream has disappeared from over Uliassi's launch position.. On the J.Renee website, Kevin Uliassi has announced that he doesn't think the combination of poor jet stream patterns and political posturing will allow him a RTW flight. He might mount an attempt at the duration record of a little over 9 days if the weather looks favorable in the later part of February. The earliest possible liftoff date is February 17,.weather permitting. The Spirit of Peace team has reluctantly decided to stand down for the season. Jacques Soukup, Crispin Williams, and Mark Sullivan with the approval of their sponsors and support group have decided that discretion is the better part of valor. The combination of the disturbing influence of La Nina, normal seasonal end of the Northern Hemisphere's favorable unbroken jet stream plus the political problems offer too great a danger to the safety of the balloon and crew. Future plans under consideration are a possible shift to a Southern Hemisphere route this summer or simply wait for things to change along their originally planned route next winter. Their nine months standby has been in vain. Who will be the next away? We will post daily bulletins. Our friends in each team all hope it may be sometime soon! Stay with us and join the excitement. Click on the Index of addresses to go take a look. All of the team sites are interesting and informative. Bookmark ARMCHAIR so you can check back with a single click to keep in touch with new events in this great adventure! |