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THE GREAT NON-STOP AROUND THE WORLD BALLOON RACE
Chapter Four - June 18, 1998 There is no breaking news as of June 18th, 1998, about the balloon teams who have made an attempt or plan to compete in the GREAT NON-STOP AROUND THE WORLD BALLOON RACE. Everything is on hold since our last report. The questions that arise are these. Will Barron Hilton and Pepsi Cola decide to spend another couple of million dollars to try again this season? Is the publicity worth the cost? Is it a good advertising return for the dollars spent? Or, is it simply a matter of dedication to the idea that it would be absolutely great for the Global Hilton to be the first to accomplish this great milestone in aviation history? Both the envelope and the gondola were destroyed by fire in this last unsuccessful attempt so everything must be replaced. It will be expensive. How about the pilots? Dick Rutan escaped okay with just a face full of cactus quills and a few bruises, but his co-pilot, Dave Melton had serious although not critical injuries. Are they both ready to go again? Similar financial questions arise for the owners of the Swiss Chronograph manufacturer in the case of the Breitling Orbiter. Although the last flight broke many records, it did not accomplish its principal objective which was the non-stop circumnavigation of the globe. They have not announced their plans, if any, for this season. They have been told repeatedly that the world is waiting for an announcement as have the Hilton people, but these pleas have been met with silence. From their messages during their last trip, one could surmise that their English flight engineer, Andy Elson, might be less than eager to try again. In every instance no penny was spared to furnish the crews with the finest equipment and scientific information possible. Computer models of every predictable circumstance were prepared, meteorological information was gathered from all types of satellites, weather balloons and radar at weather stations around the world. Sophisticated communication devices were readied and used. Staffs were manned with experienced experts to advise and assist the pilot(s). Balloons and ancillary equipment were designed based on centuries of experience and using the latest technology. Nations were contacted well in advance for fly-over permission. In spite of it all the goal was not achieved by any of them! What happened? What lies ahead? Will someone make it in spite of equipment failure? Political posturing? Fuel shortage? Has the combination of El Nino followed by La Nina caused enough of a significant change in weather patterns as to make them totally unpredictable? While storms caused by these factors have wreaked havoc in the atmosphere in the Northern Hemisphere, have they affected weather in the Southern Hemisphere as well? Has the predictability of the stratospheric jet stream also been changed? We are asking you, the reader, for your opinion? Who do you think might win? Why do you think so? Drop us an e-mail by clicking on my address at the bottom of the page and give us all the benefit of your wisdom. How long will it take? Let us know your thoughts and ideas. We will publish the most interesting answers. To recap the situation, in addition to the two teams that are as yet uncommitted, we have The Solo Spirit with Steve Fossett aboard planning an August 1998 liftoff from the Argentine wine country near Mendoza. His new Rozier type balloon contains 450,000 cubic feet of helium, has 4 burners to generate hot air, and a new, pressurized capsule. He plans to use the Southern Hemisphere's atmospheric jet stream over a route that will take him above 8 countries. His track is 90% over water. Previous attempts have taken him over half way around the world and over both the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. Kevin Uliassi is another solo balloonist in The J.Renee. He plans a liftoff from Loves Park, Illinois around the first of the year. His last flight was New Year's Eve from the same location and his balloon envelope partially ruptured. A highly experienced hot air balloonist, he was able to safely land his Rozier type balloon in Indiana 3 hours and 45 minutes later. He plans an atmospheric Northern Hemisphere jet stream trip lasting up to as much as three weeks and has readied himself accordingly The English team of Richard Branson, Per Lindstrand and Rory McCarthy in The Virgin Global Challenger based in Marrakesh, Morocco was denied a chance to compete last season when a freak gust of wind tore the envelope from their gondola during a liftoff attempt in January 1998. They replaced the envelope and waited in vain for another propitious meteorological opening until the season was over. They have a huge 1.1 million cubic foot Rozier type balloon and plan an atmospheric jet stream trip. They are ready and wait for good weather around the first of the year. The Team RE/MAX is the new name reflecting a new Title Sponsor for the former Dymocks Flyer balloon. Manned by Bob Martin, John Wallington and Dave Liniger, there's is a pure helium craft designed for stratospheric jet stream use. They plan a liftoff around the first of the year from the NASA base at Alice Springs, Australia to follow a path paralleling the Tropic of Capricorn at an altitude of about 24 miles above the earth in a space ship type capsule. All of the teams have learned from the problems faced by the others. Some have altered their approach accordingly or made equipment changes. Last season's attempts emphasized their complete dependence on quick and accurate meteorological predictions. The wildcard effects of El Nino and La Nina are unknowns that add an additional element of danger to the quest. Search and rescue efforts, if needed, can be severely hampered by the wild storms that have been blamed on El Nino. Will they cancel out each other? No one knows. Each team has its own website and each is interesting and informative. They are listed in the Index. Just click on an address to go take a look. As they say on the radio, "Stay tuned for further developments." Bookmark ARMCHAIR so you can check back with a single click to keep in touch with new events in this great adventure. |