pictures
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preparation
flying over myvatn
we prepared our balloon expedition during a first visit in the year 2001. we checked all possible sites in iceland, spoke to the weather office and the air control staff and rescue teams. in winter 2001/2002 we prepared all material and organized the crew. we were 13 people travelling to iceland - not all at the same time but in groups of 4-6.
in total we transported 7'000 kg of material with cars and trailers to hamburg and then from there with the container ship to reykjavik. after a briefing and a check of our navigation system we went to reykholt where we prepared our first flight.
first flight
The first flight took place near reykholt and lasted around 60 minutes. the flight was technically easy and the landing was near a road so that the recovery team had an easy job. the next morning morgunbladid, the national newspaper, wrote a story about this hsitorical flight.
adventures
there are some very funny stories to tell
- landing near a fishing lodge, where fishermen invited us to eat breakfast with them
- the surprise of a sudden rainshower and the police that searched our 'accident'
- beeing surprised in the mens shower as a women (now she knows the signs...)
- having ripped off the ballon in wind gusts
- flying over lake myvatn at 02:00 am and landing in a very bumpy area
- lifting the landrover with the balloon because of heavy wind gusts
Please download the german report [1'332 KB]
about this excursion.