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November 28, 2009

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Test Balloon for Round-the-World Flight a Success

Tuesday, Nov. 26, 1996 | 11:59 a.m.

The 80-foot-tall, helium-hot-air balloon piloted by Per Lindstrand of Sweden landed about 50 miles east of its takeoff point following a midday launch on Monday.

Lindstrand was found later by rescuers, who said he appeared healthy and alert.

The flight was a test run for a nonstop, around-the-world attempt being planned from Africa with a larger balloon, called the Virgin Global Challenger.

Virgin is a smaller version of Virgin Global Challenger, which is scheduled to launch from Morocco sometime in December.

Chuck Foster, Virgin flight controller, said the test balloon ascended to higher than 30,000 feet, unofficially breaking the 26,200-feet class record set last year.

Flight components from the smaller balloon were to be sent to Africa for the nonstop, global attempt, Foster said.

Lindstrand started breathing pure oxygen hours before the test balloon takeoff.

"It's to purge nitrogen from his bloodstream to prevent the bends," Foster said.

The DeRosier AM7 balloon uses helium in an upper sphere and hot air in a lower cone to keep it warm for steady lift. Lindstrand controls ascent and descent by bleeding helium or dropping nine 30-pound ballast bags, he said.

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