Balloon ocean crossing abandoned
An adventurer appears to have been forced to abandon his attempt to become the first person to cross the Atlantic using helium balloons. Jonathan Trappe was forced to land after a technical fault.
Adventurer aims to cross Atlantic by using balloons
An adventurer has started his challenge of becoming the first person ever to cross the Atlantic ocean by using helium balloons - in a real-life version of Disney's hit film 'Up'.
Jonathan Trappe, 39, will rely on 370 colourful balloons as he attempts to complete the 2,500 mile trip which should take between three to five days.
Despite heavy fog, the aviator achieved lift-off at 6.20am this morning from Caribou, Maine but his final destination is still unknown. The flight had been delayed by 100 days due to adverse weather conditions.
Before the launch, Mr Trappe said: "Weather is absolutely the most dangerous factor. But it's a double-edged sword. It's the only thing that will carry me across, but bad conditions could also ruin the attempt or endanger my life."
The adventurer already holds the record for the longest ever cluster balloon flight at 14 hours and crossed the English Channel in May 2010 by using balloons.
Disney's 2009 hit animation film 'Up' tells the story of widower Carl Fredricksen, who tied thousands of balloons to his house in a bid to see the world.
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