Nottingham/Manchester - Victory float

Two academics are hoping to break the world distance and duration records for female balloonists. Janet Folkes, a mechanical engineer from the University of Nottingham, and her co-pilot Ann Webb, an atmospheric scientist from the University of Manchester, broke the duration record during last year's Coupe Aéronautique Gordon Bennett race, the world's oldest and most prestigious aeronautical contest. They flew more than 1,100km, but this year hope to do even better when the race is held in the UK for the first time. The team that flies the farthest wins.