Brian Jones, co-pilot of the Breitling Orbiter 3, recalls his around-the-world adventure at Aerospace Bristol

On Tuesday, 27th August, Aerospace Bristol welcomed Brian Jones, co-pilot of the Breitling Orbiter 3, for a special talk to celebrate the museum’s summer exhibition, ‘Look Up! The Story of Hot Air Ballooning in Bristol’.

Built by Cameron Balloons, The Breitling Orbiter 3 became the first balloon ever to complete a circumnavigation of the globe in 1999, piloted by Brian Jones and French balloonist, Bertrand Piccard.

The exclusive talk featured a range of pictures and videos, along with several stories of this remarkable adventure, which began from the Swiss Alpine village of Château-d'Oex on 1st March 1999. The Breitling Orbiter 3 travelled a distance of 25,361 miles, remaining aloft for 19 days and 21 hours. Brian shared that the highest altitude they reached was over 40,000 feet. They would go on to cross the finish line and land in Egypt on the 21st March 1999.

The Breitling Orbiter stood at 180 feet tall when fully inflated, and the Rozier design of the envelope, which contained a mixture of helium and hot air, enabled the balloon to fly long distances.

‘Look Up! The Story of Hot Air Ballooning’ at Aerospace Bristol features original components from the Breitling Orbiter 3 and is open until Sunday 1st September.

Find out more here.