Remember Jonathan Trappe? He’s the guy who flew across the English Channel last year in a lawn chair that was lifted by helium balloons. Well, according to this story, he’s up to his old tricks, although this time he didn’t simply float across a flat body of water, electing to attempt a crossing of the Alps instead.
Using 54 balloons filled with helium, the 38-year old American set off from Gap, in southern France and took to the air on his unusual, yet daring, adventure. Reaching altitudes in excess of 4500 meters (15,000ft), it took Trappe 12 hours to complete the crossing, which ended when he landed in the Italian village of Andezeno.
Trappe set off on his journey before dawn and actually watched the sun come up over the mountains. Before that happened however, he drifted along in the dark, nervously hoping that he wouldn’t have to make an emergency landing in the mountains below – something that he thought would probably result in his own death.
That didn’t happen fortunately, and he successfully completed the crossing and delivered the video below. It shows him floating along above the clouds, calm as can be. Amazing.
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That is wild! It sounds simple enough (sorta) but I can't imagine the logistics that took!
Amazing! Anyway that there is pics out there to see his balloon setup?
How fantastic! Must have been a bit hairy at times though!