World's First Glass-bottomed Air Balloon By Christian Brown

He travelled the world in a balloon with tycoon Richard Branson and currently holds the tethered altitude world record after flying at 10,000ft on a mountain in Chile. "We designed it for Alpine flying as it would give incredible views of the scenery below. We also hope to use it to break the altitude world record and fly at over 10,000ft, which will be incredible. We're in the very early stages at the minute and are getting feedback from passengers but hope to roll them out to the public next year."
This year's festival, one of Britain's largest outdoor events, marks the 50th anniversary of modern ballooning, and 100 years of Bristol's aviation industry, a major local employer. In 1960, American Ed Yost first used a nylon balloon and propane gas on board for heating. Before, balloons dating back to the Montgolfier brothers' pioneering manned flight in 1783 were heated by a ground fire. Don Cameron built Europe's first modern balloon in 1967. The Bristol Belle, now worn with age and with too many holes in the thin nylon, was inflated again at this year's fiesta. Cameron, now the world's biggest balloon manufacturer, is the event's flight director, and at 71 is still in love with their charm.