#GEMAB21 Ambassadors: Bertrand Piccard – Citizen of the World 🌎
I am a hot air balloon pilot for 29 years and I have more than 1200 hours of flight time to my credit.
I have flown over many countries: Algeria, Argentina, Austria, Bangladesh, Belgium, Belize, Brazil, Canada, China, Dominican Republic, Egypt, France, Germany, Haiti, Honduras, India, Italy, Japan, Jordan, Libya, Luxembourg, Mali, Mauritania, Mexico, Morocco, Myanmar, Oman, Pakistan, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Sudan, Switzerland, United States and Yemen.
My best records are to have realized the first non stop round the world balloon flight with Brian Jones (in 1999, distance 45’755 km, duration 477 hours, altitude 11’737 m) and to have been the winner of the first transatlantic balloon race (1992) with Wim Verstraeten.
I come to the Grand Est Mondial Air Ballons since 2003, I have a wonderful friendship with Philippe Buron Pilâtre, sharing our passion with the public. What I love about #GEMAB is the harmony of flying with hundreds of peaceful balloons over the battlefields of the three horrible wars. Among my favorite moments of this event, the famous Great Line is my favorite.
A great memory is surfing the surface of Lake Madine with my balloon basket.
If you are a balloon pilot and have never been to Chambley, you have wasted your time so far! You have to go there!
During my stay at #GEMAB, I took time to visit Douaumont, Verdun and its history, Gravelotte and its museum dedicated to the War of 1870 and the Annexation.