Wednesday, June 2, 2010
  First person to cross the English Channel using helium balloons 
- Jonathan Trappe sets world record
  DUNKIRK, France -- US daredevil Jonathan Trappe , 36, from Raleigh, NC, has soared across the English Channel in a wicker basket borne aloft by a cloud of 55 balloons, travelling 100 kilometres from Ashford in Kent, England, to a field outside Dunkirk, in northern France , setting the world record for the First person to cross the English Channel using helium balloons .

 Photo: Jonathan Trappe, the
First person to cross the English Channel using helium balloons . Photograph: Gareth Fuller/PA
  ( enlarge photo )


   Once he was over land he cut some of the balloons free and drifted to earth, confirming his status as a pioneer of cluster ballooning.

   ''It was immensely beautiful, iconic. The white cliffs of Dover, and then the coast of France. It was such a quiet, peaceful experience,'' the pilot told Sky News after landing in a cabbage field in northern France.

   ''This is the first successful crossing of a substantial body of water,'' he said, describing how he had dodged power lines during his descent. ''There is some danger, but we did everything methodically to reduce the risk.''

    Equipped with navigation and tracking devices, Trappe reached a top altitude of 7,500 feet and speeds of up to 25 mph before setting down in a lettuce patch 22 miles from where he started.

    Jonathan Trappe set off from a field near Ashford, Kent just after 0500 BST strapped to a chair and suspended by clusters of giant inflatables.

   When he reached the French countryside he started cutting away the balloons to aid his descent. Just after 0900 BST he avoided a power line and bounced to a halt in a cabbage field.

    The 36-year-old daredevil became the first cluster-balloonist to cross the Channel when he landed in a French cabbage field at about 0900 BST.

    A French Police spokesmen said they were surprised to see Mr Trappe but he had the correct documents and was not arrested. The spokesman added: "He had all the correct authorisation and I believe he even gave something to the owner of the land where he came down by way of damages."

   Trappe is a registered pilot and his four-hour flight was cleared by British aviation authorities.

    Asked why he took on the challenge, he said: “Didn’t you have this dream, grabbing on to a bunch of toy balloons and floating off?”

    Trappe added that he had "a great time. And it's not just about the balloons. It's about dreams. And inspiration. And accomplishing what you set out to do."

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Wednesday, June 2, 2010


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