Our launch window was near the spring equinox, so we would have a rather long night in front of us: over 11 hours. There were some legitimate concerns: we were launching in North Carolina; could we stay aloft all night, and yet stay inland of the coast of the Atlantic Ocean? Winds aloft at mid-levels took us straight to a restricted military airspace at Pope Air Force Base, where they were doing live firings. Would we be able to steer clear of that airspace? Overnight temperatures on the surface would be in the 40's; how would the balloons (and the pilot) react to the low temperatures aloft?

I was thinking of these factors, and many more, as I weighed the decision to float under a cluster of balloons into the quiet night.

Together, as a team, we achieved success. I watched the sun set, traversed 109 miles over my home state, and welcomed the sun upon its return the following dawn. After nearly 14 hours in the silent skies, I returned to earth. The below account tells of the success achieved in this unique form of flight from April 10th through 11th, 2010.