Justdroppedin
09-12-2020, 01:13 PM
In 1979, two families escaped East Germany in a homemade hot air balloon. They flew for 28 minutes at −8 °C (18 °F) with no shelter as the gondola was just a clothesline railing. They landed just 10km (6.2 mi) from the border. The escape was planned out over 1 and 1/2 years and took 3 attempts.
https://i.redd.it/q2ftmd3xgkm51.jpg
Basically the first attempt was just an experiment figuring out the right materials to use, because they literally sewed this **** together themselves, it wasn’t like they had a professionally made machine ready to go. So they made a cotton one but it wouldn’t even fill the balloon cuz it was so pourous. They burned the evidence after cuz they needed better materials. The second attempt they descended too soon unintentionally due to clouds and got super lucky they weren’t discovered. They had to ditch **** and decided it was a matter of time until the balloon was traced back to them so they went again as soon as they could rebuild. From wiki:
The balloon entered a cloud, atmospheric water vapor condensed on the balloon and the added weight of the water caused the balloon to descend. They landed safely approximately 180 meters (590 ft) from the border at the edge of the heavily mined border zone. Unsure of where they were, Strelzyk explored until he found a piece of litter – a bread bag from a bakery in Wernigerode, an East German town. The family spent nine hours carefully extricating themselves from the 500 meters (1,600 ft) wide border zone to avoid detection. They also had to travel unnoticed through a 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) restricted zone before hiking back a total of 14 kilometers (8.7 mi) to their car and all the launch paraphernalia they left there.[7] They made it home just in time to report absent due to sickness from work and school.[8]
The balloon was left where it landed and discovered later that morning. Strelzyk destroyed everything remaining and sold his car fearing that could connect him to the balloon.[7] On August 14, 1979, the Stasi advertised for help finding the "perpetrator of a serious offence" and listed in detail all the items left at the crash site.[9] He felt that the Stasi would eventually trace the balloon to him and the Wetzels. Strelzyk conferred with Wetzel and they agreed their best chance was to quickly build another balloon and get out as soon as possible.[7]
https://i.redd.it/q2ftmd3xgkm51.jpg
Basically the first attempt was just an experiment figuring out the right materials to use, because they literally sewed this **** together themselves, it wasn’t like they had a professionally made machine ready to go. So they made a cotton one but it wouldn’t even fill the balloon cuz it was so pourous. They burned the evidence after cuz they needed better materials. The second attempt they descended too soon unintentionally due to clouds and got super lucky they weren’t discovered. They had to ditch **** and decided it was a matter of time until the balloon was traced back to them so they went again as soon as they could rebuild. From wiki:
The balloon entered a cloud, atmospheric water vapor condensed on the balloon and the added weight of the water caused the balloon to descend. They landed safely approximately 180 meters (590 ft) from the border at the edge of the heavily mined border zone. Unsure of where they were, Strelzyk explored until he found a piece of litter – a bread bag from a bakery in Wernigerode, an East German town. The family spent nine hours carefully extricating themselves from the 500 meters (1,600 ft) wide border zone to avoid detection. They also had to travel unnoticed through a 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) restricted zone before hiking back a total of 14 kilometers (8.7 mi) to their car and all the launch paraphernalia they left there.[7] They made it home just in time to report absent due to sickness from work and school.[8]
The balloon was left where it landed and discovered later that morning. Strelzyk destroyed everything remaining and sold his car fearing that could connect him to the balloon.[7] On August 14, 1979, the Stasi advertised for help finding the "perpetrator of a serious offence" and listed in detail all the items left at the crash site.[9] He felt that the Stasi would eventually trace the balloon to him and the Wetzels. Strelzyk conferred with Wetzel and they agreed their best chance was to quickly build another balloon and get out as soon as possible.[7]