December 23, 1998. Copyright, 1998, Graphic News. All rights reserved

BALLOON FACES YET ANOTHER HURDLE
By Margot Nesdale

LONDON, December 23, Graphic News: HAVING survived numerous crises so far, Virgin tycoon Richard Branson and his team face the most dangerous stretch yet of their global journey as they leave China for the Pacific Ocean.
The ICO Global Challenger balloon was expected to leave Chinese airspace at 14.00GMT on Wednesday to face 8,000 miles of the big blue.
Branson, fellow millionaire Steve Fossett, and pilot Per Lindstrand will not see dry land until they hit the west coast of the U.S. Ð hopefully on Christmas Day.
The trio have weathered a series of crises since they began their epic journey in Marrakesh, Morocco, on December 18.
On the first day the crew despaired as Libya withdrew its permission for the balloon to enter its territory. A desperate Branson made a personal plea to Colonel Gadaffi and tried to contact President Nelson Mandela and King Hussein of Jordan, who have direct contact with Gadaffi and the Royal Cabinet of Morocco. Gadaffi finally allowed them safe passage after seven hours of diplomatic negotiations.
On day two they hit thunderstorms in north-west Turkey, forcing them to climb and face winds that threatened to blow them closer to the Iraqi no-fly zone. They decided to risk the thunderstorm rather than run into Iraqi airstrikes and managed to avoid its hostile borders by 60 miles. 
Meanwhile Branson suffered a slight fever and sore throat and was put on    antibiotics.
The crew went on a roller-coaster ride, steering through a narrow corridor missing Iran by just seven miles and Russia by no more than 10.
The Chinese authorities had earlier given permission for the balloon to enter a specific corridor, but they crew were further north than planned, heading into forbidden airspace. On learning this the authorities withdrew their consent, throwing the crew into their biggest crisis yet. The balloonÕs path Ð which kept them away from the Chinese border Ð was pointing straight at Mt Everest.
With the winds crossing at 50mph they would have had to rise to 35,000 ft to leapfrog the worldÕs highest mountain.
The Chinese ordered the balloon to land on the Tibetan plateau, but it was deemed too life-threatening. The tense stand-off was finally broken with a deal at 14.00GMT on Tuesday, after talks involving British Ambassador Anthony Galsworthy, Prime Minister Tony Blair and former PM Sir Edward Heath, but the balloon was ordered to leave Chinese airspace as soon as possible.
The crew have travelled 8,000 miles Ð almost a third of the way around the globe Ð crossing 17 countries in North Africa and Asia.
BransonÕs dream is to land in his Oxfordshire garden on New YearÕs Day.
/ENDS

Source, ICO