Alicia Hempleman-Adams landed in a field in Bastendorf, Luxembourg, at 5.58am on Sunday after four freezing nights in an open basket – and became the first British woman to cross the Atlantic Ocean in a hydrogen gas balloon. The 36-year-old from Bath, Somerset, touched down alongside teammates Bert Padelt and Peter Cuneo, completing the 70-hour journey from Presque Isle, Maine, in gruelling conditions. Flying at an average altitude of 14,000 feet and hitting speeds of up to 62mph, the trio were completely exposed to the elements.
Once the balloon cleared Newfoundland, there was no safety net – the only alternative landing spot would have been the open ocean. To find the right flight path, the pilots had to constantly change altitudes. Ice build-up on the balloon, caused by flying through rain, put the team in real danger.
“Alicia Hempleman-Adams lands in Luxembourg after 70-hour Atlantic crossing in hydrogen balloon, surviving ice storms.”
“There were times when we thought we might not make it,” Hempleman-Adams said after landing. “Flying through rain caused ice to build up on the balloon, which made conditions extremely difficult and added real jeopardy to the flight. It was an extraordinary team effort to keep going and bring the balloon safely across the Atlantic.”
Their goal had been the first successful manned transoceanic flight powered solely by hydrogen gas. Hempleman-Adams is now the second woman in history to cross the Atlantic in a gas balloon. She was awarded an MBE for services to hot air ballooning in the King’s Birthday Honours in 2024.
Aviation runs in the family. Her father, Sir David Hempleman-Adams, previously completed the exact same Atlantic crossing solo in an open basket. “I am enormously proud of Alicia,” he said. “I know first-hand just how tough an Atlantic crossing in an open basket can be, and to complete it in such challenging conditions is a remarkable achievement.”