|
Julian Nott is a founder of the modern ballooning movement and one of its greatest, most creative exponents. During his long and extraordinary career he has broken 79 World Ballooning Records, and 96 British Records, including exceeding 55,000 feet in a hot air balloon. His records span many classes - hot air, helium, superpressure and combination balloons - and encompass altitude, distance and time aloft. But Nott stresses that record-breaking is never the central objective. "Most of all I hope to use science to advance and innovate. But setting a world record is indisputable proof of the success of a new design." Indeed Nott is changing the course of balloon history: for detail click here for "INNOVATIVE DESIGN"He has the unusual distinction of being both a Senior Member of the American Institute of Aeronautics, recognizing engineering experience, and a Member of the elite Society of Experimental Test Pilots, recognizing unique experimental flying. Nott is the only pilot in the history of the Society elected for experimental piloting of balloons. Among the unique projects in his illustrious ballooning career are the design and construction of the first ever hot air balloon with a pressurized cabin, which Nott piloted to a world record altitude. Other achievements include the first crossing of the Sahara Desert; the first crossing of Australia; crossing the Alps; and piloting the world's first solar balloon across the English Channel. Nott also designed, built and piloted the Nazca Prehistoric Balloon, using only methods and materials available to the Pre-Inca Peruvians a thousand years ago. Nott is the only first person to fly a "pumpkin" superpressure balloon. His concept is currently being developed by NASA as the "ULDB" for scientific applications, see "First Crossing of Australia". Nott holds US Patent 6,182,924 for an entirely new kind of balloon using cryogenic helium see "Design" page. The importance of Nott's work has been recognized by inclusion in some of the World's most prestigious museums,including the Museum of Natural History in New York and most recently in the permanent collection of the Royal Air Force Museum in London, England, see the "Museums" page.
Nott is the first balloonist ever to receive the Gold Medal of the Royal Aero Club, previously awarded to only 34 luminaries such as the Wright Brothers, C.S. Rolls (founder of Rolls Royce Motors) and Neil Armstrong, the first man on the moon. He has received numerous other awards include the FAI Montgolfier Diploma, the highest international award for ballooning, and a Rolex Award for Enterprise.
A prolific lecturer and writer, the design engineer has been the subject of four full-length TV documentaries and has made frequent television appearances. He has contributed to a wide variety of newspapers and magazines including "The New York Times", "The Economist" and London's "Sunday Express" as well as scientific journals including COSPAR's highly prestigious "Advance in Space Science", "The Proceedings of The Royal Institution" and US Air Force technical conference papers.
Educated at Epsom College, Nott holds a Master's Degree in Physical Chemistry from Oxford University and is an honorary Life Member of the Governing Body of St. John's College, Oxford. He is a Senior Member of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics and Honorary Secretary of the Institute's Scientific Balloon Systems and Technology Committee, a Member of the Society of Experimental Test Pilots, a Fellow of the Explorers Club and founder and Chairman of the Club's Technology Committee, a Fellow of the Royal Institute of Navigation and the Royal Geographical Society. For twelve years, he was a member of the Council of the Royal Aero Club (Patron H.M. The Queen; President, H.R.H. The Prince Andrew) and has been Chairman, Vice Chairman and Secretary of The British Balloon and Airship Club. Nott serves on several corporate boards including the Board of Scientific Advisors of SpaceData inc.
Nott holds a license for all types of balloons with a commercial rating, an instructor's rating, a superpressure rating, a night rating; an unrestricted RT license; a parachuting "A" license; and an International (FAI) Sporting License. |
|
Julian Nott
|
