Round-the-World in a Balloon

Balloonists Complete Round-The-World Feat

I am the judge for the BlOGl2 claim on Foresight Exchange.
I was the judge for the BlOGlb claim.

This is a list of news stories on various attempts to be the first to circle the world in a balloon. This list was last updated March 20, 1999.

If you have links to other news stories you think should be included, please e-mail me. Note that I am not trying to archive every single article about the balloon race, but rather trying to link to enough to give background and status of each effort.

I find it useful to search Yahoo! News for balloon stories or search Yahoo! UK & Ireland Headlines for balloon stories.  A News Index search  is also useful.

General

• Reuters - Around-the-World Ballooning Attempts - March 7, 1999
• BBC News - Great balloon challenge | The balloon race is on - March 1, 1999
• Reuters - China suspends balloon-crossing approvals - January 16, 1999
• BBC News - Balloon Websites go up - December 9, 1998
• Pittsburgh Post-Gazette - Adventurers take aim at a balloon trip around the world - Monday, October 19, 1998
• Cameron Balloons - Cameron Leads Round-The-World Race - July 8, 1998
• BBC - Why ballooning around the world is so hard - January 7, 1998
• CNN - Five teams poised for round-the-world balloon race - December 31, 1997

Breitling Orbiter (Piccard, Jones)

• Reuters - Balloonists Complete Round-The-World Feat - March 20, 1999
• Reuters - Balloonists over Pacific, claim distance record - March 15, 1999
• BBC - China keeps an eye on Orbiter - March 9, 1999
• Reuters - Swiss Balloon Team Alone In Race For World Record - March 7, 1999
• AP - Swiss Balloon Team Beginning Flight - March 1, 1999
• Reuters - Swiss-British Balloon Duo Get Go-Ahead From China - January 31, 1999
• Reuters - Balloonists Aim To Circle Globe With Muesli, Hypnosis - November 13, 1998
• Reuters - British Concorde pilot in around world balloon team - August 20, 1998
• Inside China Today - Swiss Balloonist to Ask China for Flyover Permission - August 19, 1998
• CNN - Balloonists abandon round-the-world balloon flight - February 4, 1998

Cable & Wireless (Elson, Prescot)

• Reuters - Pacific Weather Deflates Another Balloon Bid - March 7, 1999
• Reuters - UK balloon passes Vietnam on round-world trip - March 4, 1999
• Reuters - UK Balloonists Set New Endurance Record - February 27, 1999
• AP - British balloonists take off from Spain on in round-the-world bid - February 17, 1999
• BBC News - Balloonists on course for record bid - February 16, 1999
• Reuters - British Balloon Team Designs Craft to Withstand Bypassing China - February 3, 1999
• AP - British balloon standing by for global attempt - January 16, 1999

Spirit of Peace

• Press Release - Weather and Political Climates Postpone Global Flight in Northern Hemisphere - February 11, 1999
• AP - U.S. balloon crew delays launch until China allows flyover - January 6, 1999
• U.S. Newswire - Launch Window Develops for Spirit of Peace; Team Standing By for Overflight  - January 6, 1999
• Albuquerque Journal News: Balloonists Set To Conquer World - November 21, 1998
• Reuters - Anglo-US balloon team eyes record - June 28, 1998

J. Renee (Uliassi)

• AP - Balloonist cancels plans to leave from Chicago area for around-the-world trip - March 3, 1999
• Press Release - Project Goal Shifted to Long Flight - February 12, 1999
• CNN - High winds deflate yet another global balloon launch - January 16, 1998
• Chicago Sun-Times - Balloonists trying again to fly into history books - November 13, 1998
• AP - Fife firm bets on the wind - January 20, 1998
• CNN - Uliassi asks, 'What went wrong?' - January 1, 1998
• CNN - Rip forces Uliassi to abort balloon flight - January 1, 1998

Team RE/MAX

• AP - U.S.-Australian balloon launch canceled until late 1999 - January 15, 1998
• CNN - Founder of space balloon quest bows out - January 5, 1999
• Reuters - Round-World Space Balloon Set For Outback Lift-Off - December 22, 1998
• Rocky Mountain News - RE/MAX group goes for round-the-world record in high-altitude craft - November 28, 1998
• Outside Magazine - One Small Step for Man. One Giant Leap for Middle-Aged Science Geeks and Chubby Real Estate Agents Everywhere - December 1998
• AFP - Hopefuls for first round-the-world balloon trip postpones trip - November 24, 1997
• Balloon Life - Preflight - February 1997

ICO Global  (Branson, et. al.)

• AFP - Branson plans to relaunch around-the-world balloon attempt - February 6, 1999
• Reuters - Balloonists Mull Another Around-World Bid - December 28, 1998
• CNN - Weather defeats 'round-the-world balloon attempt - December 25, 1998
• CNN - Balloonists cleared to stay aloft over China - December 22, 1998
• Reuters - China orders Branson balloon to land - December 22, 1998
• CNN - Balloon takes off on around-the-world challenge - December 18, 1998
• Reuters - Balloonist rivals join forces in Marrakesh - November 29, 1998
• Reuters - Balloon rivals announce joint round-world bid - November 2, 1998
• BusinessWire - Steve Fossett Joins Richard Branson and Per Lindstrand on Virgin Global Challenger Attempt 1998/99 - September 10, 1998
• AP - Branson Plans 4th Balloon Attempt - September 9, 1998
• CNNfn - Branson's balloon ride - December 29, 1997

Global Hilton (Rutan)

• CNN - Abandoned balloon lands in Texas after pilots bail out - January 9, 1998