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back to article Bother! Breakdown busts bloke's bold boffin-blasted briny boat balloon bid

An IT bloke hoping to fly across the Atlantic in a small boat suspended Up-style beneath a cluster of multicoloured balloons has had his dream dashed, according to reports. Jonathan Trappe lifted off in heavy fog from the US state of Maine on Thursday, hoping that the forecast winds would carry his small yellow lifeboat …

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  1. Cliff

    Hydrogen, on the other hand, is cheap.

    And for one man solo daredevil adventures the difference in safety margin is pretty negligible when you're over the briny.

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    1. FartingHippo
      Reply Icon

      Re: Hydrogen, on the other hand, is cheap.

      Good point, and looking at the design, I fail to see where a spark or other ignition source is going to come from.

      On the other hand, a single burning balloon is likely to lead to a cascade failure followed by some unplanned skydiving.

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  2. LarsG

    Don't believe for one minute he was serious about the attempt, maybe just looking for the publicity, I mean would a sane person attempt a crossing just at the time when the weather is becoming so changeable across the Atlantic?

    With such a tiny open boat it would have been almost suicide.

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  3. Khaptain Silver badge

    Congrats for the title

    Fool floated far from fixed footing, finally fell.

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    1. FartingHippo
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      Re: Congrats for the title

      Amazing alliteration always appeals, actually.

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  4. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Why don't they just fuse some Hydrogen into Helium?

    After all, the sun does it all the time. Has done so for years.

    Exothermic too, I believe.

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    1. Graham Marsden
      Reply Icon
      Mushroom

      Re: Why don't they just fuse some Hydrogen into Helium?

      Sure, no problem. There's just a bit of a waiting list.

      30 years the last I heard.

      Of course there is another way, see icon, but it's a bit tricky to collect it aftewards...

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  5. Rob2621

    'An' IT Manager

    So the question being....

    1. Why did we only send one IT 'Manager' aloft

    2. Why on earth wasn't it my manager?

    3. Why didn't I have a rifle to pop the balloons...

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    1. Martin Budden Silver badge
      Reply Icon
      Joke

      Re: 'An' IT Manager

      A man in a hot air balloon realized he was lost. He reduced altitude and spotted a woman below. He descended a bit more and shouted, "Excuse me, can you help me? I promised a friend I would meet him an hour ago, but I don't know where I am."

      The woman below replied, "You're in a hot air balloon hovering approximately 30 feet above the ground. You're between 40 and 41 degrees north latitude and between 59 and 60 degrees west longitude."

      "You must be an engineer," said the balloonist. "I am," replied the woman, "How did you know?"

      "Well," answered the balloonist, "everything you told me is, technically correct, but I've no idea what to make of your information, and the fact is I'm still lost. Frankly, you've not been much help at all. If anything, you've delayed my trip."

      The woman below responded, "You must be an IT Manager." "I am," replied the balloonist, "but how did you know?"

      "Well," said the woman, "you don't know where you are or where you're going. You have risen to where you are due to a large quantity of hot air. You made a promise which you've no idea how to keep, and you expect people beneath you to solve your problems. The fact is you are in exactly the same position you were in before we met, but now, somehow, it's my fault."

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      1. Anonymous Coward
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        Anonymous Coward

        Re: 'An' IT Manager

        Had to work with both types. One won't give any answers, but the other answers a different question.

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  6. James Delaney

    Pic please. On train and video's blocked :(

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  7. Toastan Buttar
    Thumb Up

    All aboard the Skylark!

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pzu2H3ScDNU

    Thumbs UP!

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