Daredevil IT manager attempts to cross the Atlantic simply by clinging to helium BALLOONS... but winds could blow him anywhere from Iceland to Morocco

Jonathan Trappe, 39, took off from Maine on Thursday morning and expects the journey to Europe will take him between 3 and 5 days



He could land anywhere between Iceland and Morocco



To control the aircraft, he will pop balloons or drop ballast



Five people have died during 12 conventional hot air balloon attempts


A daring aviator today began the world's first ever attempt to cross the Atlantic ocean dangling precariously from a massive cluster of helium-filled balloons.

Jonathan Trappe, 39, did not allow heavy fog to put him off his nail-biting journey on Thursday morning and achieved lift-off at 6.20am from Caribou, Maine.



Like a fairytale from the Disney movie 'Up', the North Carolina man will attempt to make the 2,500-mile solo trip to Europe relying on 370 colorful balloons filled with helium.

It is a feat that has never been attempted before, but Mr Trappe has not allowed that - or the fact that five people have died trying to cross the Atlantic in conventional hot air balloons - to deter him.



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Jonathan Trappe set off this morning on a 2,500 mile journey across the Atlantic Ocean relying on 370 helium balloons to fly him safely to Europe

Jonathan Trappe is pictured next to the lifeboat which hangs from the balloons ahead of taking off this morning from Caribou, Maine

'I'm just as afraid of dying as anyone,' he said. 'But I go forward in the spirit of adventure, doing something nobody has achieved before, and to live an interesting life.'



A successful crossing will see Trappe fly into the history books as the first person ever to scale the ocean in a flight of this type.



Incredibly, winds could see him land anywhere between Iceland and Morocco after a journey expected to take between three and five days.

Trappe is relying on state-of-the-art weather data from the meteorologist who advised Felix Baumgartner on his record-breaking skydive from the stratosphere last year.



The latest weather reports before the launch suggested winds would take Trappe to western Europe.

Crowds gather to wave the IT specialist off in Caribou, Maine, this morning as he begins his attempt to become the first man to successfully cross the Atlantic in this way The IT specialist took off at 6.20am this morning in front of volunteers and supporters. His team of meteorologists will monitor his progress using a satellite phone

Though admitting weather was the most dangerous aspect of the journey Mr Trappe was not put off by the thick fog he faced this morning as he hovered above Caribou, Maine

'Weather is absolutely the most dangerous factor,' said Trappe speaking immediately before launch. 'But it's a double-edged sword. It's the only thing that will carry me across, but bad conditions could also ruin the attempt or endanger my life.'



Trappe and his team had faced an agonising wait of more than 100 days in Caribou for weather conditions good enough to carry him across the 'Pond', typical for this time of year.

Global weather systems being monitored by the project meteorologists stared lining up on Monday, but local storms around Maine threatened to destroy the cluster balloon system and forced Trappe to stay grounded.

Trappe, an IT technical project manager from Raleigh, North Carolina, said: 'It was nail biting waiting for a weather window that would allow me to get up into the air and catch those transatlantic winds we'd been seeing.

The latest weather reports suggested winds would take Trappe to western Europe but unpredictable conditions could see him land anywhere between Morocco and Iceland The IT technical project manager and his team have been waiting almost 100 days for good enough weather conditions to begin the journey which is expected to last between three and five days

Trappe already holds the record for the longest-ever cluster balloon flight after crossing the English Channel in 2012 and the Alps in 2011 when he suspended an office chair from similar helium balloons to those used in this journey 'I need to get on them and ride them across like a conveyor belt.'

During the crossing, Trappe faces climbing as high as 25,000ft to ride the winds that will propel him towards Europe. To ascend he'll drop ballast and will pop balloons or release them into the air if he needs to fly lower because favourable winds are at lower altitudes. Trappe already holds the record for the longest ever cluster balloon flight of 14 hours, but said: 'This is far greater than anything achieved before, I'm looking at 62 hours or longer.'

Volunteers help inflate the 370 balloons which Trappe will gradually deflate to control his descent once above dry land in several days time Five people have died in the past trying to make the 2,500 mile journey in conventional hot air balloons or single gas balloons as the result of unexpected winds and storms 12 previous attempts have been made to traverse the Atlantic Ocean using balloons though none has been successful. In 2008 A Brazilian priest died trying to make the journey using helium filled birthday balloons Trappe is relying on state-of-the-art weather data from the meteorologist who advised Felix Baumgartner on his record-breaking skydive from the stratosphere last year The 370 balloons have been attached to a lifeboat which will save Mr Trappe's life if he drops into water at any point in the dangerous journey

Volunteers clutch on to seven helium balloons ahead of Trappe's take off this morning after the journey was put on hold for months due to poor weather conditions

He became the only person to have crossed the English Channel by cluster balloon in May 2010, and the Alps in September 2011. Previous flights have seen him travel in a simple office chair suspended by the balloons.



This time he's elected to dangle inside a small yellow life boat in case he ditches into the ocean. 'If I touch down on water then the attempt will be over as it will be impossible to take off again, but the boat will keep me alive.'

It will be incredibly dangerous as I could be several days away from any rescue crew and it will mean surviving rough seas for a long time, alone.'

Colonel Joe Kittinger, 84, who acted as Capsule Communicator during Felix Baumgartner's skydive from space, has aided with preparations for the dangerous journey Mr Trappe's partner Nidia Ramirez was there to wave him off this morning as he prepares to embark on the 2,500 mile flight which could see him reach altitudes of 25,000ft Mr Trappe said though he was aware how dangerous the feat is, he wants to live an interesting life and 'go forward in the spirit of adventure'

Life imitates art: In the Pixar film, Carl Fredricksen strapped hundreds of equally bright balloons to his house to transport it from the U.S. to South America

While Trappe is the first ever to attempt an Atlantic cluster balloon crossing, five people have died trying to cross the ocean in 12 total attempts using hot-air balloons or more conventional single gas balloons.

In 2008, Brazilian priest Adelir Antônio de Carli died after he drifted out to sea while trying to set a record for a flight using helium-filled party balloons.

Father Adelir Antonio de Carli began his flight suspended in a harness-like seat from 1,000 balloons in the southern port of Paranagua.



He had intended to fly 20 hours due west, but unexpected winds carried the 42-year-old out over the south Atlantic on a southeasterly course.



Also advising on the project is aviation hero Colonel Joseph Kittinger.

Kittinger, 84, acted as Capsule Communicator during Felix Baumgartner's skydive from space and was the first person to make a solo Atlantic crossing by gas balloon, in 1984.

'I accepted the role of advisor on this project because I want to help a young man achieve his dream, to reach his goal,' said Kittinger.

'Like me, Trappe wants to be remembered for achieving something that nobody has achieved before him. I'm here because I believe he can do it. His planning has been meticulous and if anyone can make this, he can.'

The latest update on the IT specialist's blog said he was travelling at 39mph, approximately 70 miles out over the Atlantic from the New Brunswick Coast.



Trappe will keep in touch with his team on land via satellite phone.



He sent his first message shortly after taking off this morning to Chief Meteorologist, Don Day.



It read: 'DON OK W SPEED & HEAD? I KNOW I AM HIGH. COMING DOWN,' checking the team was happy with the speed the balloons were travelling at.

To follow Jonathan's progress through his official media partners visit: https://share.delorme.com.





