Record-setting balloon flight marks 20th anniversary

It’s 20 years since the Breitling Orbiter 3 balloon circumnavigated the world, piloted by Swiss balloonist Bertrand Piccard and his English counterpart Brian Jones. Circling the globe in a balloon was considered one of the great final adventures of the 20th Century. Other wealthy adventurers such as Richard Branson and Steve Fossett had already tried and failed, and they weren't the only ones: 10 teams made 21 attempts in total to try and make it around the planet in this way. It took Bertrand Piccard two failed attempts, in 1997 and 1998, before he found success on his third go, working with Brian Jones. The balloonists finally touched down in the Egyptian desert on March 21, 1999 after travelling 45,755km (28,4308 miles) in 19 days, 21 hours and 55 minutes. In terms of both distance and duration, this flight became the longest in the history of aviation. A hi-tech balloon Breitling Orbiter 3 stood 55m (180ft) tall when inflated completely and was fuelled by propane gas, ...