Don Cameron (born 16 July 1939) is a Scottish balloonist, and later founder of Cameron Balloons, the world's largest hot air balloon manufacturer. Don Cameron is one of the few aeronauts to be awarded the Harmon Trophy, as the 'World's Outstanding Aviator' in 1999.
Cameron Balloons of Bristol, England, was formed by Cameron in 1971. The new company was based in Cotham, Bristol where a total of twenty nine balloons were made in the basement of the property. 1971 also saw Cameron build Golden Eagle, a balloon designed specifically to fly across the Sahara to shoot a film for Jack Le Vien.
In 1978 his attempt to make the Atlantic crossing by balloon ended when bad weather forced his heated helium balloon Zanussi down after a 2,000-mile flight from Canada. It was piloted by Cameron and Christopher Davey. They left St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador on 26 July 1978, covered 1,780 miles, and ditched on 30 July 1978 in the Bay of Biscay only 110 miles from France after a tear developed in the balloon. The two planned a second attempt, but discarded their plans when the Double Eagle II successfully made a transatlantic flight three weeks later. Cameron and Davey were awarded the Gold Medal of the Royal Aero Club in the same year.
Cameron has received the gold, silver and bronze medals of the Royal Aero Club for his ballooning achievements which include being the first man to cross the Sahara and the Alps by hot-air balloon, and making the first flight between the UK and the former USSR in 1990.
Envelope of the Breitling Orbiter 3 exhibited at the Gasometer Oberhausen from 2004 to 2006.
Labeled the "epitome of his achievement" Don Cameron redesigned the helium and hot-air balloon combination into the Cameron Roziere balloon which reached multiple milestones. In 1992 Don Cameron fulfilled his transatlantic dream by designing and flying his Roziere balloon from Bangor, Maine, U.S. to Portugal, taking second place in the first ever transatlantic balloon race.[4]
Don Cameron and Tim Cole designed and built the Spirit of Freedom (balloon)Rozière balloon. Cameron built the envelope and Cole the capsule. In 2002 solo aviatorSteve Fossett flew the Spirit of Freedom to become the first successful around the world nonstop solo flight in any kind of aircraft. On 19 June 2002 the 10-story high balloon Spirit of Freedom lifted off from Northam, Western Australia and landed in Queensland, Australia on 3 July 2002 (Independence Day in the United States). The solo flight circumnavigation lasted 13 days, 8 hours, 33 minutes (14 days 19 hours 50 minutes to landing) and covered 20,626.48 statute miles (33,195.10 km). They (Fossett & Spirit of Freedom) reached speeds of up to 322 kilometres (204 miles) per hour, and flew as high as 10,580 metres (34,700 feet).[6][5][7]
