CROSSING THE ATLANTIC OCEAN HAS PROVEN AN IRRESISTIBLE CHALLENGE TO BALLOONISTS FOR MORE THAN 150 YEARS. In the summer of 1970 Rodney Anderson, his wife Pamela Brown and British balloonist Malcolm Brighton were convinced they had the skills and the balloon necessary to become the first to complete the epic journey. But their efforts came up short when the likable trio underestimated or disregarded the risks involved. The three adventurers launched their balloon, The Free Life, from Long Island on a beautiful September day, sipping champagne to the cheers of friends and family, hoping to reach Europe in five days. They were never seen again.
The transatlantic crossing idea came to 32 year old Rod Anderson in the mid-1960s. The New York commodities broker became intrigued by the notion that no one had flown a balloon across the Atlantic. Anderson had no ballooning experience, but he thought the endeavor would provide an opportunity to make a name for himself as a member of the prestigious Brown family of old Kentucky, into which he had recently married.
Anderson’s wife, Pamela, 28, was the daughter of a prominent Kentucky attorney and U.S. con gressman. Her older brother, John Y. Brown Jr., would serve a term as Kentucky governor and earn millions developing the Kentucky Fried Chicken chain. At a young age she left behind the country club scene of Kentucky to pursue an acting career in New York City. She knew next to nothing about ballooning when Anderson suggested the Atlantic flight, but agreed the endeavor’s success would result in worldwide exposure and prestige and perhaps boost her career. Brown’s family was naturally reluctant at first and her mom was steadfastly against the risky project. But her wealthy father would soon come around, offering both his moral and financial support.
Anderson once said in an interview, “It doesn’t seem like from Massachusetts, pilots Maxie Anderson and Ben Abruzzo found themselves drifting off course, dodging icebergs near the coast of Iceland. The following year British pilots Don Cameron and Chris Davey were forced to ditch their balloon just 110 miles short of the French coast, partly due to lack of wind.
