04/06/2026
2007 was the last time the Atlantic was conquered by balloon. Since then the only other balloon to cross the Atlantic was that of Fedor Konyukov as part of his 2016 nonstop round the world flights in the Southern Hemisphere. From 2007 until 2023, the only attemptnat the Atlantic was Jonathan R. Trappe's valiant effort to make the first effort by a cluster balloon system to cross the Atlantic, making it as far aa Newfoundland and setting new standards in cluster balloon flight.
Then amazingly, from 2023 onwards the Atlantic has been challenged once every year. Of the 3 attempts the furthest was the 2023 flight of Deborah and Michael Scholes, making it as far as Newfoundland. No one got as far as the open Atlantic ocean. Could this be the year? Regardless, perhaps this is a sign of a new era of Transatlantic balloon flight opening up?
In the early hours of this morning, in Presque Isle, Maine, American balloonist and balloon builder extraodinaire, Bert Padelt set off on his 3rd attempt in as many years to make the first flight by a Hydrogen filled gas balloon across the Atlantic Ocean. Surprisingly no one else had tried since the valiant 1958 effort of the Small World team in 1958. Flying East to West they got about half way across before ditching in stormy weather and sailing the rest of their way in their dinghy style gondola.
Joining Bert in this attempt is veteran American gas pilot Peter Cuneo and world record breaking British hot air balloon and Airship pilot Alicia Hempleman-Adams. It is of course Alicia's father David who made the last successful crossing of the Atlantic, in a Coupe Aéronautique Gordon Bennett sized Helium gas balloon in 2007.
Having crossed the Northumberland Strait to Prince Edward Island, and again to Cape Breton, as they now approach the Eastern coast of Cape Breton, with each kilometres they eat away, they have one less km to decide wether to commit to the Atlantic. Once they cross the coast, they will be over open ocean, next stop Europe. By the looks of their speed and altitude, they have no intention of stopping. Good luck to them, we can't wait to see them safely land in Europe.
You can follow along on their page Atlantic Explorer 2026 Flight Control and follow their track in real time using the Kubicek Balloons Flymate app or on the YB races website at https://my.yb.tl/atlantic-explorer
We hope this is the first of many more successful attempts at the Atlantic by balloon in the coming years.
