Torabhaig Atlantic Explorer

The Torabhaig Atlantic Explorer is set to be the first hydrogen open basket gas balloon to cross the Atlantic.
This September, the Torabhaig Atlantic Explorer gas balloon, co-piloted by Sir David Hempleman-Adams and Bert Padelt, will take flight as part of an audacious adventure of old friends on a journey that will look for new scientific discoveries while aiming to become the first ever flight of an open basket hydrogen balloon across the Atlantic.
The crew consists of the three oldest people who have ever been bold enough to cross the Atlantic in an open basket gas balloon. With a combined age of over 200, the co-pilots, world record holding British adventurer, Sir David Hempleman-Adams (British, 66 years) and Bert Padelt (American, 62 years), a balloon manufacturer who has been inducted in the US Ballooning Hall of Fame, will be accompanied by explorer, scientist and entrepreneur, Dr Frederik Paulsen (Swiss, 72).
Their route will take them from Maine over Newfoundland, Canada, across the Atlantic Ocean, and then Ireland and Scottish waters before landing in Europe, traversing over many thousands of miles in a period of 4-5 days. If successful, this will be the first Atlantic crossing in a hydrogen balloon and may complete the longest distance ever covered in this type of balloon. If Sir David completes the crossing, he will become the only person to have flown across the Atlantic three times in an open basket balloon.
During the crossing, the team will be collecting air samples as part of a scientific study supported by Basecamp Research to discover new microbes that could lead to the discovery of new natural proteins that could be used in the development of new medicines, biofuels, bioplastics or agritech. Flying at an altitude of 6,000 to 8,000 feet, weather permitting, they will be able to collect samples from a mid-Atlantic location at an altitude that has never been sampled. The team is supported in this endeavour by The Explorers Club and are applying to carry the prestigious Explorers Club Flag - an honour given to expeditions that further the cause of exploration and field science.