'Up' comes to life

Jonathan Trappe takes to the air in a bid to become the first man to successfully cross the Atlantic Ocean using a balloon cluster system, in Caribou, Maine, Sept 12, 2013. Trappe, an American IT manager, began his first attempt to cross the Atlantic in a lifeboat held up by 370 helium balloons on Thursday morning. This was the mode of transportation used in the Pixar-Disney film Up a few years ago. Trappe took off from Caribou, Maine, in the morning fog after 150 volunteers filled the helium balloons. His journey would cover 2,500 miles (4,023 kilometers) and likely take up to six days while floating at altitudes of 18,000 - 25,000 feet (5,486-7,620 meters). He will be relying on meteorologists to guide and advise him on changing weather fronts. In May 2010, he became the first man to fly over the English Channel in a cluster balloon system. In 2011, he became the first person ever to fly over the Alps. [Photo/CFP]