Born March 1, 1958, Bertrand Piccard comes from a long lineage of invention and aeronautics. His grandfather, Auguste Piccard, climbed over 50,000 feet in a balloon to become the first human being to reach the stratosphere on May 27, 1931 -- a feat made possible by his development of the pressurized cabin that protected against the cold temperatures, low air pressure and the rarefied atmosphere that exists at such a high altitude. His father, Jacques, designed the world's first tourist submarine built for underwater cruises as well as the mesoscaph line of underwater craft.

At age 16, Bertrand Piccard was already a hang-gliding enthusiast and went on to win the European aerobatic hang-gliding championships a few years later. He currently holds a world altitude record and is credited with inventing a number of aerobatic routines. His first hot air balloon flight in 1979 fueled his later achievement of using a balloon as a launch platform for hang-gliding. A psychiatrist by trade, Piccard was able to hypnotize fellow crew member Wim Verstraeten to sleep for brief periods during their crossing of the Atlantic some years ago.

A top pilot and navigator, Wim Verstraeten is reputed for a number of flying achievements and records, including the first overflight of the Kilimanjaro peak and the altitude record for special-shape balloons. An old pal and flying partner of Bertand Piccard's, they won the first transatlantic balloon race together in 1992.

Verstraeten heads a hot-air balloon company called "Balloon Promotions" that has so far given a long-distance view of the earth to over 10,000 people in the course of some 2,000 balloon flights. He has been flying balloons for the last 15 years and is credited with being the first Belgian balloonist to cross The Channel in a hot-air balloon.