News To celebrate the 10th anniversary of the world’s first non-stop round-the-world hot-air balloon flight, Breitling is organizing another voyage that will circle the globe with Brian Jones in a replica of the famous Breitling Orbiter 3. Punctuated this time around by a number of stopovers on all continents, this adventure is intended to raise funds for the Winds of Hope foundation which emerged from the wave of enthusiasm generated by the historical record. Since 1999, the foundation’s efforts have focused essentially on the fight against noma, a devastatingly gangrenous and all too often fatal disease that mostly strikes children from poor countries, but which may be effectively treated if diagnosed early enough. Over the past ten years, Winds of Hope has contributed in particular to funding several national programs to fight noma in various countries of Africa.
The new hot-air balloon will travel from continent to continent to take part in events organized by Breitling distributors or in top-rate air shows. It will in particular be used for passenger flights. The journey began in Europe in mid-May with an event in The Netherlands, followed by the gathering of vintage airplanes at the "Klassikwelt Bodensee" show in Germany, and the 50th anniversary of the Transport Museum in Lucerne. At the end of July, the balloon will move on to South-East Asia, where it is to enliven a major watch show in Bangkok, before gliding across to the United States in September for the famous Breitling-sponsored Reno Air Races, and then on to Washington. After a Middle East stopover, the hot-air balloon will take part in the Saga Balloon Fiesta in Fukuoka, Japan held in October, before gracing the Caribbean skies above Curaçao, followed by Venezuela.
May 28, 2009
