Preparations are underway for the trip of a lifetime for a British couple as they prepare to embark on a daring adventure in a Roziere balloon across the Atlantic Ocean.
A cramped balloon basket will be Deborah and Mike Scholes’ home for at least five days when the couple finally takes flight on their Transatlantic Balloon Challenge.
The accomplished balloonists are finalizing their plans to take flight in a Roziere balloon from Sussex, N.B., aiming to travel more than 2,500 miles over water to land somewhere in Europe.
“That’s it, over the wet stuff for a few days,” said Mike Scholes who is the crew captain for his wife who is piloting the balloon.
Mike, who once owned a balloon-ride business, had to give up his pilot’s licence in 2007 when he lost his sight due to a genetic condition.
“I had to stop ballooning because passengers, I find, preferred pilots who can see where they are going. It said it helped their enjoyment of the flight,” joked Mike.
He has embraced the role of being his wife’s only crew member for the record-breaking journey.
The couple will rely on packaged food and take turns sleeping on a tiny bench, guided by a meteorologist from Belgium who will oversee their flight plan.
“It’s all according to the weather patterns across the Atlantic,” said Deborah Scholes, the balloon captain.
With no land in sight for days, her husband said he will be able to see some of their journey, “I never lost the ability to see blue.”
To ensure their safety, survival suits and a lifeboat are on board as precautions. The grueling trip is estimated to take between five to seven days. If successful, Deborah will become the first female captain to complete this journey, while Mike will become the first blind crew member to do the same.
Deborah said she isn’t nervous about the trip and is eager to inflate the balloon for flight as soon as the weather allows.
“Once we take off and get toward the ocean, then I think I will get a little bit of ‘This is it,'” she said.
Once they travel over water, there is no turning back.
Trusting the winds and meteorologist to guide them, the couple is eager to drift amongst the stars.
“Deborah will be able to see the night sky (unmarred by) light pollution,” said Mike.
“That will be quite nice to be able to look at the night sky,” said Deborah.
The couple is raising funds for Blind Veterans UK, an organization that helped Mike when he lost his sight.