Balloon Adventure from Germany to Bulgaria: Daring Six-Country Journey Ends Near Shumen

Two German balloon pilots have completed a daring voyage across six countries, landing near Shumen, Northern Bulgaria.

Benny Aimas and Jan Beckmann, who normally operate commercial hot-air balloons for passengers and tourists, decided to challenge themselves by exploring Europe from above.

Their journey began on Sunday evening, departing from Düsseldorf.

“We flew continuously over three days. The balloon is filled with hydrogen gas, around 1,000 cubic metres, and can lift up to 1.2 tons. We passed through Germany, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, before reaching Bulgaria,” explained Benny Aimas.

The pilots had initially planned to land in Greece, but wind conditions diverted them to Bulgaria.

“Bulgaria is a beautiful country with stunning landscapes. We are now at 1,500 metres altitude. It took over 50 hours to reach Bulgaria. Nights were especially tough because temperatures up there drop to minus 10 degrees,” Aimas added.

“It’s warm and pleasant here in Bulgaria. We can even take off our jackets because the weather is fantastic,” Beckmann said.

During the flight, the adventurers tracked their position in real-time using a GPS device and prepared their own meals in an improvised balloon kitchen.

“We have sausages, a little bread, salami, fruit, noodles, and chocolate – which is always a good option,” Aimas shared.

The journey also served as a qualification flight for the World Hot-Air Balloon Championship in Austria.

“Any team wishing to compete next year must complete a qualification flight, aiming for as long and distant a journey as possible,” Aimas said.

The balloon’s speed depends on wind conditions, reaching up to 50 km/h, the pilots noted.

Besides the cold temperatures, they had to deal with other problems - avoiding no-fly zones over military sites and nuclear power plants.