Under the cover of darkness on September 16, 1979, two families embarked on an astonishing journey. Faced with guarded borders and lethal force, eight people stepped into a homemade gondola beneath a massive canvas structure. Over 28 harrowing minutes, they drifted high above the fortifications separating East and West Germany.
This nighttime flight involved calculated physics, hidden purchases of fabric, secret testing, and a highly dangerous ascent.
Constructing the Homemade Aircraft
Peter Strelzyk and Günter Wetzel spent over a year researching and building a hot air balloon. The final design was an enormous craft, standing 25 meters (82 feet) tall and measuring 20 meters (66 feet) in diameter. To build the envelope, the families purchased 1,250 square meters (13,500 square feet) of taffeta in various colors from different towns.
Wetzel sewed the pieces using an electric sewing machine and over 6 kilometers (3.7 miles) of thread. The 180-kilogram (400 pounds) balloon was attached to a gondola built from an iron frame, a sheet metal floor, and clothesline sides.
The Final Midnight Launch
After a failed escape attempt months prior, the families knew they risked discovery. On September 15, optimal weather conditions arose with a thunderstorm producing the right wind direction. Arriving at the launch site near Oberlemnitz at 1:30 am, they inflated the 4,000-cubic-meter (140,000 cubic feet) balloon.
Just after 2:00 am, the 550-kilogram (1,210 pounds) payload lifted off. An unreleased tether caused the gondola to tilt, and the fabric momentarily caught fire before they quickly extinguished it.
Ascending into Freezing Altitudes
Once airborne, the balloon rapidly climbed to an altitude of 2,000 meters (6,600 feet). The unshielded gondola offered zero protection, and the passengers endured temperatures plummeting to -8 °C (18 °F). A miscalculation in the burner stovepipe length caused excessive pressure, creating a split in the fabric.
Rushing air repeatedly blew out the burner flame, forcing Wetzel to manually relight it with matches. They eventually reached a peak altitude of 2,500 meters (8,200 feet), traveling at 30 kilometers per hour (19 miles per hour).
A Hard Landing in Bavaria
As the propane fuel ran out after a 28-minute flight, the balloon began a rapid descent. The craft hit the ground near Naila in the state of Bavaria, roughly 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) past the border. The only physical injury was a broken leg sustained by Wetzel.
After exploring the area, the men spotted an Audi police car, a vehicle model unavailable in the East, and received confirmation from State Police officers that they had successfully landed in West Germany.