Balloonists float on in spite of ripped valve

Press, 29 July 1978, Page 9

Balloonists float on in spite of ripped valve

|NZPA Bracknell (England) Two British adventurers have passed the halfway mark in their quest to conquer the Atlantic Ocean by [balloon, and their ground crew sav they will press on [in spite of a rip in an inner I gas valve. “They have a slight rip in [the inner helium gas valve,” ] said a spokesman at the [mission’s control centre just [south of London. “But with a bit of luck iand as long as the weather holds, they still have a good [chance of completing the I crossing." Don Cameron, aged 37, an [aeronautical engineer from ; Bristol, and Major Christ-

opher Davey, aged 34. of the' i British Army’s Royal Tank I - Regiment, lifted off from a I Jsports stadium at St John’s,! 'Newfoundland, on Wednes-] 'day, determined to become] I the first men to cross the ] [Atlantic in a balloon. [ Their gondola (shown in ] the diagram) is a 4.5 m craft; [equipped with provisions] [and designed as a yacht.! 'They have said they will sail] | the craft to England if the [ [venture fails. The spokesman said the; inner envelope of their ve- [ hide, a 30m high balloonnamed Zanussi, had suffered; [the gas leak just beyond the] i [halfway point in their! 3700 km journey. Hours after their departure from a St John’s park i [early on Wednesday, the balloonists received an unex'lpected message from the 'Queen, whose aircraft passed

[over them en route to the [Edmonton Commonwealth [Games. The Queen’s message said:; [“Prince Philip and I send' lyou our best wishes for a [successful landfall,” and was [relayed by the plane’s radio, [to the astonished balloonists. “We will do our best to; make the record,” they re-'I plied. i After 24 Hours in the air | [they were over 750 miles; [across, travelling at 33] [knots, and in constant radio {contact with back-up teams! [on the ground. ! Major Davey said: “The iweather is completely clear' [with no cloud at all. We cat, see and hear the sea 6000 ft; below. i “It is very silent and peaceful.” The control centre spokesman said the perfect weather and favourable winds that; had followed them from-'

Newfoundland were holding and that they still hoped to land in northern France this I morning (N.Z.) time. I They had waited about a month for favourable weath]er to make the eighteenth .attempt at flight. All preivious attempts have failed ; and some of the balloonists [have lost their lives. I In the two most recent [American attempts last year. [Dewey Rienhard, and Steve [Stevenson lasted only two days in their 26m balloon, [Eagle, in October. A month [earlier, Ben Abruzzo and Maxie Anderson ditched their craft. Double Eagle, off Iceland after staying aloft for three days. The British control centre at an electronics plant in Bracknell, about 50km south-east of London, was functioning as the same kind lof control centre used in -‘space flights.