After being thwarted the last two years by the COVID-19 pandemic, a British couple have again been forced to postpone their attempt at a record-breaking transatlantic balloon flight from New Brunswick.
Deborah Day, 58, and Mike Scholes, 68, had been planning to fly from Sussex, N.B., to France, but Scholes recently had major surgery and won’t be recovered in time for a flight this summer.
In a statement posted on their website today, the couple say the latest postponement is a huge disappointment, but they want to make sure they are both fully fit for the crossing, expected to take up to a week depending on weather conditions.
They say the delay has made them even more determined to make it happen in 2023.
If successful, Day would become the first woman in command of a transatlantic balloon crossing, while Scholes would become the first blind crew member on such a trip.
The couple plan to fly a 27-metre Roziere balloon that uses helium in a cell at the top and hot air below.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 4, 2022.
Comments