On August 17, 1978, a hot air balloon named 'Double Eagle II' took off from Presque Isle in Maine and landed near Paris after 137 hours. This flight marked the first crossing of the Atlantic Ocean by balloon. The helium-filled balloon was piloted by Ben Abruzzo, Max Enderson, and Larry Newman. Over six days, it covered a distance of 3,233 miles.
The first human flight in a balloon occurred in the early 1780s, thanks to French papermakers Joseph and Étienne Montgolfier. Following this event, human flights using balloons began to develop. Soon, light gases such as hydrogen or helium started being used to fill the balloons. An early success in this field was achieved in 1785 when the Frenchman Jean-Pierre Blanchard and the American John Jeffries became the first to cross the English Channel by air.
During the 18th and 19th centuries, balloons were more often used for scientific reconnaissance and research rather than for transport or sport. By the end of the 19th century, self-propelled airships replaced balloons as a means of aerial travel. However, in the early 20th century, interest in ballooning as a sport grew, leading to annual international races with prize money. In these early competitions, balloons from Belgium dominated. After World War II, new technologies made balloon flights safer and more accessible, and by the 1960s, the sport became widely popular.
The transatlantic flight, which was first accomplished by airplanes and airships in 1919, remained an unattainable goal for elite balloons. Between 1859 and 1978, 17 unsuccessful attempts to cross the Atlantic by balloon resulted in the death of at least seven balloons.
In September 1977, Ben Abruzzo and Max Enderson made their first attempt on 'Double Eagle I'. After 2,950 miles in 66 hours, they deviated from course and were forced to make an emergency landing near Iceland. Abruzzo spent several months recovering from frostbite sustained during this challenging experience. Nevertheless, by 1978, he and Enderson were ready to attempt the flight again. They included Larry Newman as the third pilot, and on September 11, 1978, 'Double Eagle II' took off from Presque Isle, Maine.
The eleven-foot helium-filled balloon traveled well for the first four days, and all three pilots sustained themselves by eating hot dogs and canned sardines. The only serious issue arose on August 16, when due to atmospheric conditions, 'Double Eagle II' was forced to descend from a dangerous altitude of 20,000 feet to 4,000 feet. They jettisoned ballast and soon returned to a safe altitude. That same night, they reached the coast of Ireland, and on August 17, flying over England, headed towards the Bois de Boulogne in Paris, the location where Charles Lindbergh made his historic solo landing after crossing the Atlantic in 1927. Their wives flew in a private plane over southern England so close to the balloon that they could give their husbands a kiss in flight.
After a slight deviation from the route at the end of the journey, on August 17, shortly before sunset, they landed near the village of Miserere, about 50 miles west of Paris. Their 137-hour flight set new records for endurance and distance. The American pilots were greeted by family members and an enthusiastic French crowd that followed the balloon in cars. That night, 31-year-old Larry Newman, the youngest of the three pilots, was allowed to sleep in the same bed as his wife. This repeated Charles Lindbergh's experience after his historic transatlantic flight five decades earlier.
Subsequently, in 1981, Ben Abruzzo, Larry Newman, Ron Clark, and Rocky Aoki completed the first transpacific flight from Nagasaki, Japan, to Mendocino National Forest in California. In 1984, American Joe Keatinge completed a solo balloon flight across the Atlantic. In 1995, American Steve Fossett completed a solo transpacific flight. One of the ultimate goals of balloon flights was achieved in 1999 when Bertrand Piccard from Switzerland and Brian Jones from England completed the world's first non-stop circumnavigation by a hybrid helium and hot air balloon. They departed from the Swiss Alps, circled the globe, and landed in Egypt, covering over 29,000 miles in 20 days.
Later, in 2002, American adventurer Steve Fossett became the first person in history to complete a solo circumnavigation by hot air balloon.