On the 21st of March the Breitling Orbiter 3 was the first balloon to fly around the world non-stop, piloted by Bertrand Piccard and Brian Jones. Designed and built by Cameron Balloons, of Bristol, England, Breitling Orbiter 3 stood 180 ft (55 m) tall when inflated completely. The propane gas that fuelled its six burners was contained in 28 titanium cylinders mounted in two rows along the sides of the gondola. Concerned about fuel consumption, the team added four additional propane containers prior to launch; these additions proved necessary to complete the trip. The Breitling Orbiter 3 held the record for the longest distance un-refuelled flight (25,360 mi (40,813 km)) of any aircraft in aviation history until the 2006 flight of the Virgin Atlantic Global Flyer. It still holds the record for the longest duration un-refuelled flight (19 days, 21 hours, and 47 minutes). We celebrate this great feat of aeronautics with a beautiful hot air balloon …
March 21
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