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Airspace Cleared Over Libya, Jordan, AlgeriaNovember 1, 1996One major hurdle to the Virgin team's attempt to fly non-stop around the world has now been cleared. Libya, Jordan, and Algeria—the first countries over which the balloon will pass—have all granted permission for the balloon to enter their airspace. "The permissions have come in over the last two weeks," said Erin Porter, Director of Protocol for the Virgin Global Challenger team. "The team is relieved, and extremely pleased to have the cooperation of these critical countries." Even so, a great deal of work remains to be done. Meteorologists predict that the balloon is likely to pass through a wide flight band, between 20 and 70 degrees north latitude. Within those boundaries lie 97 countries or areas of special sovereignty, and the balloonists must obtain permission from each and every one of them. Obtaining overfly permits is no simple task. Says Porter, "This is a balloon, built to fly around the world, and believe me, most of these countries haven't seen an aircraft like this before, floating through their airspace." For every country, the team must contact the appropriate embassy, the official governing agency of the country's airspace, and the British embassy in the country to be flown over. "Typically the information requested," says Porter, "is similar to the information you would provide if you were flying a plane through their airspace—namely, registration, certificate of airworthiness, crew names, the latitude at which they will fly, the speed at which the balloon is likely to travel, and also the proposed flight path. Often the countries will have specific questions, not all of which can be answered, such as 'what is the exact route the balloon will take?'" For Porter and Kevin Stass, Virgin Atlantic Airways Route Planning Superintendent, working to obtain overfly clearances has been a year-long endeavor, but they are making headway. "I think the countries are more familiar with the project this year. We do a lot of follow-up and updating with the embassies to keep them informed of our plans as they unfold," explains Porter. "Because there are other global contenders out there, there is more understanding and familiarity with what we're all trying to do." Check back early next week as the team gears up for the balloon's first test flight. (table of contents) Science of Ballooning | Teacher's Guide | Resources | Transcript | Balloon Home Editor's Picks | Previous Sites | Join Us/E-mail | TV/Web Schedule About NOVA | Teachers | Site Map | Shop | Jobs | Search | To print PBS Online | NOVA Online | WGBH © | Updated October 2000 |