Two unlikely adventurers were determined to become the first to fly non-stop around the world in a balloon.
It was 1999 and explorer Bertrand Piccard and British flying instructor, Brian Jones joined forces to smash the last great aviation challenge of the 20th century.
And their brilliant efforts have been turned into the film, The Balloonists, which has just been released in UK and Irish cinemas.
The film sees rival teams lifting off across the world and the race is on to be the first to write their name in the history books.
Working together, Bertrand and Brian must overcome extreme weather conditions, survive potentially fatal technical failures and endure increasing mental and physical exhaustion if they want to make it.
Up against such record breakers as the Wright brothers’ flight in 1903 to Neil Armstrong walking on the moon in 1969, no one had managed to fly a balloon around the world nonstop. And as the century approached its end, the competition to be the first around the world in a balloon began to heat up.
More and more teams assembled across the world hungry to be the first to claim this elusive award and write their names in the history books.
Billionaire media mogul Richard Branson, an accomplished balloonist with notable endurance records already under his belt, was considered by many to be the safe bet to fly around the world first.
Bertrand Piccard and Brian Jones’s team, The Swiss Breitling Orbiter, named after the luxury watch company sponsoring them, were perceived as plucky underdogs in the competition.
They had mixed results in their previous two attempts. The first ended in total humiliation lasting just a few hours before splashing down into the Mediterranean Sea. The second was more successful. The team broke the non-stop flight duration record but still fell short when they landed in Myanmar.
The hopes of the Orbiter endeavour rested firmly on the shoulders of the team’s fundraiser, spokesperson and pilot, Bertrand Piccard. He had more than just his own personal pride at stake, he had an illustrious family name to live up to.
His grandfather, Auguste, was the first person to enter the stratosphere in a hot air balloon in 1931. Three decades later, Jacques, Bertrand’s father, descended into the Mariana Trench in a bathyscaphe – deeper than anyone else before.
The internationally renowned Bertrand family were guests of honour at the Apollo rocket launches and their home in Switzerland played host to Albert Einstein and Amelia Earhart. Bertrand had some big footsteps to follow. Attempting to fly around the world in a balloon is far from a one person job and finding the perfect co-pilot was easier said than done for Bertrand.
He had flown with a different combination of pilots on each of his previous flights. One of these former allies, Andy Elson, would turn into his most competitive rival. With only a few weeks until his next attempt was due to lift off, Bertrand again parted ways with his latest co-pilot.
At the last minute, in stepped Brian Jones, the Orbiter Project Manager, a remarkably well-qualified balloonist and the UK’s chief flying instructor.
Brian brought tranquillity, organisation and a witty sense of humour to the partnership. Drawn from contrasting backgrounds, success would mean entirely different things for the two aeronauts. For Bertrand, it is a chance to emulate his father and grandfather, two of their generations’ greatest explorers. For Brian, the surprise call up to co-pilot alongside Bertrand is an unforeseen shot at greatness.
Flying at hundreds of kilometres per hour, 30,000 feet in the air, they had to overcome oceans and storm clouds, where the smallest error could prove fatal and the success of the mission depending on the teamwork of this surprising twosome thrust together at the 11th hour.
The Balloonists is an exhilarating ride through breathtaking heights and perilous challenges and a life-affirming tale of adventure and obsession that ultimately becomes a story of friendship, drawn from a rich archive, capturing the highs and lows of their extraordinary journey.
Author Bio:
Rebecca Hay is an experienced travel writer and member of The British Guild of Travel Writers. Follow her adventures with her family on Twitter and Instagram @emojiadventurer and on Facebook via EmojiAdventurers2.
Images courtesy of The Balloonists
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