- Born
- Died
- Birth nameTracy Lay Barnes
- Tracy Barnes was born on February 21, 1939 in St. Louis, Missouri, USA. He died on January 20, 2019.
- On May 10, 1964 Barnes designed and constructed a polyethelene A-3 size balloon. The balloon called "Barnes 14A" had a light- weight insulating foam cabin. Barnes' design resulted in an aerostat that weighed less than 250 pounds including envelope, cabin, ballast, instruments, and pilot. On that flight he achieved an altitude of 38,650 feet and established 7 world altitude records. When the FAI later increased the number of balloons sizes from 10 to 15 he was awarded a total of 11 records for this flight for balloon sizes AA-3 through AA-13. It was the first manned hydrogen filled polyethelene balloon. These flight records still stand today.
- Made the first flight in an aircraft solely powered by solar energy in the "Solar Firefly" as a 200,000 cu. ft. tetrahedron shaped balloon. This was the 1st manned flight of what is now called a tetroon.
- Inducted into the U.S. Ballooning Hall of Fame July 27, 2008.
- Made the first trans-continental flight by hot air balloon (1966).
- Made his first hot air balloon flight in "Old Lumpy" on October 13, 1961. He built the balloon from five used army parachutes.
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