'My dream is to take the Pope hot air ballooning'

A balloon pilot is on the verge of breaking a world record for taking off in the highest number of countries around the world.

Allie Dunnington, from Bristol, has launched balloons in more countries than any other female pilot and is now on a mission to beat the overall record of 127, held by her late husband Phil Dunnington, by the end of 2026.

She is now only four countries away from achieving her target but has been hindered by restricted airspace because of the US-Israel war with Iran.

Dunnington wants to break the record in the Vatican City with the Pope on board. "My dream is to take the Pope flying and take off from St. Peter's Square," she said.

She added: "I've got a film team working on it to help make it happen.

"My mission for world peace is to be in a balloon - the oldest form of human flight - when my late husband's record is broken," added Dunnington, who has flown in every country across the Americas and Europe.

Dunnington recently completed flights in Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan but her plans for Turkmenistan, Afghanistan and Pakistan are on hold and she is now looking towards east Africa later this year, with hopes to fly in Madagascar, Malawi and Zambia.

"Wherever you are, you discover the world from a different angle and a different perspective," she said.

Despite having flown all over the world, the pilot added that Bristol was "still one of my favourite cities in the world to fly over".

Beyond the record attempt, Dunnington wants to encourage more women and girls all over the world to enter aviation.

She was the first female private pilot licence examiner in 50 years of British ballooning history and founded the annual Women's Balloon Event in 2010 to provide practical experience for female pilots.

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