First Non-stop Balloon Circumnavigation: Piccard and Jones on March 21, 1999

On March 21, 1999, Swiss psychiatrist and balloonist Bertrand Piccard, along with British balloonist Brian Jones, successfully completed the first non-stop balloon flight around the world. Their journey marked a significant achievement in aviation history.

The Journey

• Balloon Specifications: The duo flew in the Breitling Orbiter 3, a combination of a hot-air balloon and a helium gas balloon. The craft was 180 feet tall with a 55-foot-wide capsule to house the pilots, instruments, and supplies.

• Launch Details: The journey began on March 1, 1999, when the Breitling Orbiter 3 lifted off from Château-d’Oex in Switzerland.

• Route and Challenges:

  • The balloon traveled eastward, navigating the jet streams for propulsion.
  • It crossed continents including Europe, Africa, Asia, the Pacific Ocean, Central America, and the Atlantic Ocean, encountering variable weather conditions and technical difficulties.
  • Significant challenges included managing fuel consumption, navigating avoidance of hostile airspaces, and maintaining the correct altitude to catch favorable winds.

Completion and Landing

• On March 20, 1999, Piccard and Jones flew over Mauritania, officially crossing their starting longitude to complete the circumnavigation.
• They landed the next day, on March 21, in the Egyptian desert near the town of Mut, successfully completing the 25,361-mile journey.

Historical Significance

• Record: Piccard and Jones set the record for the longest flight in aviation history at the time, clocking 19 days, 21 hours, and 55 minutes in the air.
• Technological Feat: The successful circumnavigation demonstrated advances in balloon technology, navigation systems, and weather forecasting.
• Influence: Their flight inspired future endeavors in long-distance aeronautics, particularly highlighting the importance of international cooperation for safe and successful global ventures.

Bertrand Piccard’s achievement carried on his family’s legacy of exploration, as his grandfather, Auguste Piccard, was a pioneering balloonist, and his father, Jacques Piccard, an undersea explorer. This historic flight cemented their place in the annals of exploratory triumphs.