Balloons
A Child’s Toy
Even the simple is sometimes too complex.
French skydiver Michel Fournier’s bid for a record-breaking parachute jump from Earth’s stratosphere was aborted Tuesday when the balloon that was to carry him into the far reaches of the sky slipped away from his flight crew.
Ah – the records he would have set… the longest free fall, the fastest free fall, the highest altitude reached by balloon. This would not have been easy to accomplish, and like usual, that translates into complexity and $s.
He has spent two decades and nearly $20 million in his quest to send him to the heavens in a stratospheric balloon. According to his Web site, Fournier sold virtually all his possessions to finance the launch of this project.
He’ll try again.
But until then, we must remember that balloons are just a simple child’s toy.
