Bertrand Piccard


	After six agonising days, the meteorologists' decision was proved correct, and the balloon entered a powerful jet stream that carried it at 180km/h towards Mexico. As it approached the Caribbean, the balloon's speed once more slumped. The jet stream ejected the two pilots just as it had dropped Richard Branson several months earlier, forcing him to ditch south of Hawaii. They desperately increased the stakes, using a huge amount of Propane to gain as much altitude as possible. At 10,500 metres, the air-currents miraculously blew them back on course. But they still had 10,000 kilometres to go and were down to the remaining eighth of their fuel reserves. They could only succeed if the wind strengthened, which it did, and their speed increased four-fold. On 20th March, Breitling Orbiter 3 crossed the last meridian at 200 kph and landed the following day in Egypt, entering history books with the longest flight, in terms of distance and duration, ever accomplished by man. More importantly, Bertrand and Brian were left with the feeling that they had managed to forge a more intimate and more respectful relationship with our planet.

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