Team
AE2026...
Meet the team behind the historic flight...
Flight Crew
Bert Padelt
One of the most highly respected aeronauts in the world, American Bert Padelt is a master balloon builder whose balloons hold internationally recognized world records for all three categories of balloons: AX (hot air), AA (gas, using only a lighter than air gas such as helium or hydrogen for lift) and AM (Rozier, a hybrid of gas and hot air). Padelt-built balloons hold the world distance and duration
records in all but three of the gas balloon size categories. Bert built the smallest manned gas balloon ever to cross the Atlantic Ocean, flown by British pilot David Hempleman-Adams in 2007. He also built one of the largest gas balloon envelopes ever flown and was responsible for the logistics, assembly,launch, and recovery for the Two Eagles 2015 transpacific flight. This epic expedition, flown by U.S. pilot Troy Bradley and Russian pilot Leonid Tiukhtyaev set the absolute distance and duration records for gas balloons. Earlier, Bert served as the systems director for the late Steve Fossett’s attempts to travel around the world in a balloon, including his successful circumnavigation of the globe in the summer of 2002.
One of Bert’s most unusual creations is the tetrahedron-shaped smoke balloon used for the Japanese television documentary “Return to Nazca”, depicting Julian Nott and Jim Woodman’s flight demonstrating the possibility that the ancient Nazca civilization could have used balloons in creating the Nazca Lines in Peru. Bert, working with Atlantic Explorer co-pilot Peter Cuneo, developed the first
American-built hydrogen-capable gas balloon system. Several Padelt hydrogen balloons have flown in and won gas ballooning competitions. Bert has competed in the Coupe Aéronautique Gordon Bennett (gas balloon distance world championships). He with Noah Forden are the most recent champions in the America’s Challenge distance race for gas balloons. Bert and his wife Joanie own Best Aviation, a balloon manufacturing and hot air and gas balloon repair company in Bally, PA. He has played a leading role in promoting gas ballooning in the United States.The
U.S. and international ballooning communities have recognized Bert’s achievements with virtually everymajor award in the sport, including the Federation Aeronatique Internationale (FAI, the world air sports federation) Montgolfier Diplome, the FAI Air Medal and FAI Group Diploma, the Balloon Federation of America (BFA) Gas Division Tony Fairbanks Award, and (with Joanie) the BFA Shields-Trauger Award.
Peter Cuneo
If there is a ballooning resumé that could be described as “eclectic”, it is Peter Cuneo’s. In his more than three decades flying gas and hot air balloons, Peter has amassed thousands of flight hours, become one of the most successful competitive gas balloon pilots in the U.S., and supported a wide variety of cuttingedge technological and scientific flights. Peter was a technical consultant on several of the late Julian Nott’s high-altitude projects. He flew as Julian’s co-pilot during a 19-hour test of a high-altitude refueling system, and later joined Julian aloft in a Bert Padelt-built tetrahedron smoke balloon during the making of a Japanese documentary film. The pair re-enacted Julian’s flight exploring whether
balloons could have played a role in the creation of the Nazca Lines in Peru. Peter collaborated withBert in the creation of the first hydrogen-capable gas balloon built in the U.S. With his wife and flying partner Barbara Fricke, Peter hauled a basketful of squawking geese aloft on a flight to determine if balloons could aid in imprinting migration patterns on geese.
As one of the United States’ leading gas balloon competitive teams, Peter and Barbara won the Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta’s America’s Challenge gas balloon race four times, the most of any team. They competed in the world championships of distance gas ballooning, the Coupe Aéronautique Gordon Bennett, ten times, finishing third in 2008 and fourth in 2016. During their competitive career, Peter
and Barbara completed open basket flights of 1,935 miles (3,122 km) in the 2017 America’s Challenge and more than 73 hours in the 2008 Gordon Bennett. They build their own hot-air balloon envelopes (four so far) and are highly respected flight instructors. Peter is a co-editor and co-author with Astrid Gerhardt, Walter Müller, and Gerhard Hurck of the definitive text Gone With the Wind – The Gas Balloon. He has written numerous articles and (with Barbara) newsletters and served on the Trustee and Foundation Boards of the Anderson Abruzzo Albuquerque International Balloon Museum, the Albuquerque Aerostat Association, and the Balloon
Federation of America Gas Committee. He is a recipient of the (FAI) Air Sport Medal, the (BFA) TonyFairbanks Award and Regional Directors Award, and the Albuquerque Aerostat Ascension Association (AAAA) Sid Cutter Award. Peter is originally from Chicago, IL and lives in Albuquerque, NM. He is a retired electro-optical engineer with Lockheed Martin Corporation.
Alicia Hempleman-Adams
At a very early age, Alicia Hempleman-Adams began setting records and achieving feats most people could never imagine, and she’ll be well-suited to withstand the high-altitude, sometimes frigid rigors of a transatlantic balloon flight. At the age of eight, she became the youngest person to have reached the North Pole when she was flown there to meet her father, famed British explorer and champion
balloonist Sir David Hempleman-Adams. When she was 15, she became the youngest person to walk and ski 200 miles across Baffin Island in northeast Canada. She and her three companions braved windchill factors of -30 degrees Celsius (-22 degrees Fahrenheit), thin ice and open water along the journey.
More recently, Alicia has set her sights on the skies, setting multiple ballooning and airship records. She currently owns the altitude, distance, and duration records for class AX-4 (900 m 3 or 21,000-31,500 ft 3 ) hot air balloons and for class BX-3 (900 m 3 or 21,000-31,500 ft 3 ) hot air airships. On February 2 nd and 3 rd of this year Alicia, flying an even smaller hot air airship, achieved distances and durations that, subject to ratification by the World Air Sports Federation (FAI), may result in several additional hot air balloon and
hot air airship world records. She also holds a number of British records. In 2024 Alicia was awarded the World Ballooning Federation (CIA) Montgolfier Diplome. If the Atlantic Explorer 2026 flight succeeds in reaching Europe, Alicia will become the first woman to complete a transatlantic flight. Alicia was appointed a Member of the British Empire in 2024 during the King’s Birthday Honors for her
services to hot air ballooning. She works as a fashion consultant in Britain.
Flight Control
Kevin Stass
Kevin’s 40 year career in airline Flight Operations started in 1976 when he joined Dan-Air after leaving college. He worked his way up to run the Route Planning Department. During his time at Dan-Air he gained a private pilot’s licence to fly hot air balloons.
After Dan-Air, he joined Virgin Atlantic Airways in 1993 and soon took over the management of the Flight Technical Support department within Flight Operations. It was shortly after this that he was invited to a meeting with Richard Branson and Per Lindstrand to discuss the planning of their forthcoming round-the-world balloon attempt. He joined the operational team which worked on 3 attempts. It was on the final attempt in 1998 that he met Steve Fossett. Steve subsequently asked him to join the operational team for his solo round-the-world balloon attempts culminating in the first successful solo circumnavigation of the earth in 2002 in the Spirit of Freedom balloon.
Post 2002 Kevin was involved in the following adventures...
2003: Mission Control team for David Hempleman-Adams successful Transatlantic balloon flight from Sussex, New Brunswick to Hambleton near Blackpool UK
2005 & 2006: Mission Control Director for both of Steve Fossett’s first solo piloted aircraft circumnavigation of the earth and the longest solo piloted aircraft flight in the Virgin Atlantic GlobalFlyer.
2007: Mission Control team for David Hempleman-Adams successful Transatlantic balloon flight from St John's, Newfoundland to Nolay, France.
2010: ATC Coordinator on the organisational team led by Don Cameron for 54th Coupe Aeronautique Gordon Bennett International Gas Balloon Race. In 2016 was appointed Director of Flight Planning for Straightline Aviation, a start-up hybrid airship company.
2023: Flight Director for Debbie & Mike Scholes Transatlantic Balloon Challenge attempt from Sussex, New Brunswick.
Awards: Kevin was awarded The Royal Aero Club Bronze Medal in 2005 and The Royal Institute of Navigation Certificate of Achievement in 2006.
Tomas Hora
Tomas was born into a family of balloonists, with his father, Pavel Hora, being a prominent figure in the sport. Tomas took his first balloon ride in 1976 aboard the gas balloon "D-Graf Zeppelin." As a member of the Ballonsportgruppe Stuttgart e.V., he was part of the youth group and obtained his pilot licenses for both hot-air and gas balloons. Tomas developed a passion for sharing ballooning with others, serving as a youth leader in Stuttgart and co-founding the International Ballooning Youth Camp with Astrid Gerhardt. He is a flight instructor and examiner, furthering his commitment to the sport.
Tomas has achieved notable success in competitive ballooning, having been crowned the German Gas Balloon Champion twice.
Tomas has held various key roles in the Gordon Bennett and Americas Challenge Races, serving as an observer, deputy director, launch director and event director. He also participated in several races as part of Team Hora / Loeschhorn and later contributed to the weather and strategy teams for Gordon Bennett teams worldwide. His contributions to aviation have been recognized internationally, as he is a holder of the prestigious FAI Medal for his role in the success and development of aviation.
During his time in New Jersey, Tomas formed a close friendship with Bert Padelt, sharing similar views on safety and airmanship in ballooning. This alignment in values has been beneficial in his approach to the sport.
Clive Bailey
Clive was born into an aviation family, his father was a flight test engineer with British Aerospace and later Sales Engineering Director for Concorde.
Building model aircraft from the age of 6, Clive obtained his gliders licence at 18.
After full time education he decided to go down instead of up and trained as a commercial diver. At nineteen worked in the Middle East for several years on oil rigs and then spent a further 3 years in the North Sea, specialising in life support systems.
At the age of 26, Clive joined the motor trade as a General Manager for a Ford Dealership, obtaining his hot air balloon licence at 29 and operating the Ford Dealership Balloon.
With his wife Jo, they setup Bailey Balloons in 1994. Bailey Balloons operates several balloons for companies together with corporate entertainment and champagne balloon flights. Clive proposed to Jo at 8,000 feet over Bath and they left their wedding by balloon!
Jonathan Harris
Jonathan has been involved in ballooning all of his life with his Father, Stephen, starting ballooning in 1974. Growing up with ballooning, Jonathan has attended various events in France, Switzerland & Italy,In June 2022, Jonathan gained his Balloon Pilots licence (PPL B). Later, in October 2022, Jonathan completed his first “Long Jump Balloon Flight” and won! Launching from Fromebridge Mill, Gloucestershire to a landing at Gilbert Street, Alresford, Hampshire. A total distance of 75 miles with a duration of 4 hours 40 minutes. In June 2023, Jonathan was part of the Mission Control Team for Debbie & Mike Scholes Transatlantic Balloon flight from Sussex. New Brunswick. Later that year, Jonathan was part of flight team for Team Great Britain in the Gordon Bennett Gas Balloon Race in which Debbie Scholes & John Rose scored an 11th place finish. Outside of ballooning, Jonathan enjoys sports and working with computer technology.
Meteorologists
Don Day JNR
Don Day Jr. is president and chief meteorologist of DayWeather, Inc.
For over 30 years, Don and his DayWeather meteorologists have provided customized broadcast weather services to over 70 radio stations across Wyoming, Colorado and Nebraska with emphasis on the rural/ag listener.Don specializes in weather forecasting and analysis for stratospheric aviation with emphasis on lighter than air vehicles (stratospheric balloons, airships, and very high-altitude experiments).
Don was the chief meteorologist for Felix Baumgartner’s record and groundbreaking Red Bull Stratos Stratospheric sky dive (2012) and also was chief meteorologist for Google’s Alan Eustace stratospheric jump in 2014 (Stratex). Don was also the lead weather adviser for skydiver Luke Aikins’ “Heaven Sent – No Parachute Jump” Fox Network 2016 as well as weather advisor/producer for Magician David Blaine's Ascension (Youtube 2020). Don has been featured in the documentaries “Mission to the Edge of Space – Red Bull Stratos” 2013 and “14 Minutes to Earth” 2016 and the "Great Balloon Bomb Invasion for Discovery Channel" 2022.
Randy Lefevre
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Randy is the principal of ApMet LLC, a meteorological consulting company specializing in tailored weather intelligence.He has a PhD in meteorology with an emphasis in numerical weather prediction and applied weather analysis and forecast research.
A retired United States Air Force (USAF) Officer, Randy has provided weather analysis and forecast support for Department of Defense (DoD) air and space operations and research projects for more than 30 years.
He supported the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta (AIBF) as a meteorologist for more than 20 years, including the America's Challenge long distance gas balloon races. His experience also includes supporting several stratospheric balloon and high-altitude aircraft research and development projects.
Logistics
Paul Cyr
Paul grew up on a potato farm in the northern Maine town of Hamlin. Afer moving to Presque Isle in 1976, Paul’s photography took back a back seat to his commitment to the family healthcare business, development of rental properties and the creation of a patented snowmobile component he manufactured for 25 years.
Paul now has more time to devote to his hobby of photography and spends eachweek looking for new photographic opportunities. Paul shares his work with over 30,000 followers on Facebook and has even provided material for recognised press organisations outside of the United States.
Technology
Charles Willard
Charles began his career with The Balloon Works (FireflyBalloons) as their Graphics Coordinator & Commercial Sales Manager, designing hundreds of commercial and personal hot air balloons. He earned his hot air balloon pilot’s certificate and
participated in balloon flight testing.
Charles next worked withTempest, an inflation fan manufacturer, marketing a line of
products globally for fire fighting. Charles then worked with thefire service as an Associate with W.L. Gore & Associates. After24 years in the fire fighting industry, Charles returned to “lighter than air” technologies as VP of The Blimp Works, a manufacturer of unmanned blimps used for advertising, military surveillance and scientific platforms. More recently, Charles has enjoyed consulting opportunities with the Pisgah Astronomical Research Institute and other areas which focus on space, science and innovation.
Jay Willmott
Jay is an “unmanned aviator” with many decades of experience in UAS (drone)
development, manufacturing and operations. He was a co-founder and Vice President of BAI Aerosystems in the mid-1980s, and was there through its acquisition by L-3
Communications. BAI’s work at NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia began Jay’s long relationship with hydrogen as a lift gas and a fuel. In 2006, BAI was part of a Naval Research Lab team that set endurance records for small UAS powered by hydrogen fuel cells.
In the 1990s, Jay established BAI’s MIL battery connector business. After retiring from L-3, he formed Battery Axxessories Inc. which makes connectors and cables, including some now being used on the Atlantic Explorer.
Press Officer
Kim Vesely
As a former TV news reporter and freelance writer, Kim Vesely covered many of gas ballooning’s greatest “firsts” including the Double Eagle II transatlantic crossing, Double Eagle V transpacific crossing, and the first manned nonstop flight across North America by the Kitty Hawk. She was the media liaison for more than 20 America’s Challenge gas balloon races, the 2005 and 2008 Coupe Aéronautique Gordon Bennett, and the 2015 Two Eagles transpacific flight. Since 2003 she has been the editor of the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta official program and is a co-author of three books about the Balloon Fiesta. A balloon pilot and crewmember for fun and therapy, Kim retired from a career in public education and lives in the Albuquerque, New Mexico (USA) metro area.
Support Team
Joanie Padelt
Joanie, the wife of Bert, is an integral part of the ballooning community. She is known for her extensive involvement in the sport, including her role in the construction of record breaking balloons and the running of their balloon repair station in Bally, Pennsylvania.
Barbara Fricke
Barbara is a highly accomplished hot air and gas balloon pilot. She has been piloting since 1989 and has gained her gas rating in 1996. Barbara's passion for ballooning stems from her childhood interest in the movie "Around the World in 80 Days." She has over 2100 hours of pilot time, including flights in various countries such as Austria,Belgium,Canada,Finland,France,Germany, Switzerland and the United States. Barbara has served on the Board of Directors for the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta and the Balloon Federation of America's Gas Division Board.
Brian Jones
Brian along with Bertrand Piccard, co-piloted the first successful uninterrupted circumnavigation of the world on board the balloon Breitling Orbiter 3. They set off on 1 March 1999 from Château d'Oex in Switzerland and landed in Egypt after a 45,755 kilometre flight lasting 19 days, 21 hours and 47 minutes. For this achievement, Brian received many awards including the Harmon Trophy, the Hubbard Medal, the FAI Gold Air Medal and the Charles Green Salver.
In November 2010, Brian piloted the Breitling Orbiter hot air balloon as a launch platform for Swiss stuntman Yves Rossy. Rossy made the first successful attempt to perform loops using a jet-powered flying-wing backpack.
David Gidzinski
Sir David Hempleman-Adams
Explorer, aviator and entrepreneur industrialist, David was the first person to cross the Atlantic in a balloon with an open basket, and crossed for a second time in the smallest balloon that has ever made the crossing. He is the only person ever to have flown a balloon from a land mass over the Arctic Ocean to the North Pole. David and co-pilot Jon Mason were the first British team to win the Gordon Bennett balloon race, and are the only British team to win both the Gordon Bennett and the America’s Cup. He has broken 47 FAI world records. David is also a mountaineer and polar explorer and was the first person to complete the Full Explorers Grand Slam, summiting the highest peaks on all seven continents and skiing from an outer shore to the North and South Poles.
Jason Fischer
Jason is an American hot air balloon pilot, living in Riga, Latvia and is currently working on earning his gas rating. Jason came to aviation through art ballooning, having built his first hand tie-dyed balloon in 1992, and has continued expanding his armada of art balloons until present time. Always attracted to interesting flying opportunities, he has flown over Kilimanjaro in Tanzania,Fitz Roy in Argentina, and the Austrian Alps.
Being part of the Atlantic Explorer Project Team is an incredible learning opportunity and is a deeply satisfying experience helping Bert achieve his boyhood dream.
Jim Duncan
John Piper
John received his Private LTA license in 1993, his Commercial in 94 and his gas rating in 2016. He is a member of the BFA, GEBA and the Balloon Club of America NC. He was the Balloon Meister for the Hot Air Jubilee in Jackson Michigan for several years and acted as Balloon Meister for the New Jersey Festival of Ballooning from 2018 to 2022. Professionally, John Piper was the Vice President and Senior Director of Macy’s Parade Studio from 2001 to 2020.
As the leader of a team of artists responsible for the design and production of the giant character balloons and fantasy filled floats showcased in the world-famous Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. During his tenure, John led the team in the design and production of over 80 new Floats, 67 giant character balloons, 20 balloonicles, dozens of character “balloon heads”and a handful of “trycaloons”. John has collaborated with the artistic teams from Disney, Universal, Dreamworks, Cirque Du Soleil, Nickelodeon, the Hallmark Channel, Peanuts, the Oneida Indian Nation and the History Channel. For Macy’s series of “Blue Sky Gallery Balloons” John worked directly with international artists Takashi Murakami, Tom Otterness, KAWS, Jeff Koons and Tim Burton.
John has also been a spokesperson for Macy’s appearing on the NBC Today Show,
Good Morning America, and various NYC television and radio stations, as well as The
NY Times, The Daily News, Huffington Post and People Magazine.
Noah Forden
Noah is a distinguished aerospace engineer and gas balloonist known for his innovative contributions to the sport. Noah has worked for various companies, including Raven Industries and Lockheed Martin and has designed interplanetary spacecraft for NASA. His passion for ballooning led him to become a winner of the 2021 America’s Challenge and a participant in the prestigious Gordon Bennett Gas Balloon Race.
Rick Piendel
Rick is a professional known for his work with Blaser Swisslube a Swiss company that specializes in high performance metalworking fluids. He has been involved in various professional activities, including speaking at events like the Grinding Gear Show and participating in engineering projects such as the SP80 project aimed at breaking the world sailing speed record by using windpower.
Rick has also flown hot air balloons in several countries, including Switzerland, Italy, Spain, Portugal and the United States. His work with Blaser Swisslube and his involvement in ballooning highlight his diverse interests and contributions to both the company and the community.
