Smallest balloon used in a transatlantic flight

The smallest balloon to have been used in a transatlantic flight is a 1,000-m3 (37,000-cu-ft) Padelt G-37 (FAI class AA-06), used by British adventurer David Hempleman-Adams for a flight from St John's, Newfoundland, Canada, to near Nolay in the Côte-d'Or department of France. Hempleman-Adams took off on 3 July 2007 and landed four days later on 7 July.

The balloon was designed and built for Hempleman-Adams by Bert Padelt, who also worked on Steve Fossett's 2002 record-breaking round-the-world balloon flight in Bud Light Spirit of Freedom - the first solo circumnavigation by balloon.

It was a lifting gas balloon, filled with helium, rather than a hot-air balloon. Its basket was so small that Hempleman-Adams had it fitted with a pair of "cat-flaps" so he could sit down with his legs hanging out of the side.

This flight still holds the FAI AA-06 records for both distance (4,227.1 km; 2,626.6 mi) and duration (89 hours 20 minutes).