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Wall of Honor Level:
Air and Space Friend

Honored by:
Ms. Anne Luther

Julian Nott is a founder of the modern ballooning movement and one of its greatest, most creative exponents. During his long and extraordinary career, he has broken 79 World and 96 British ballooning records, including exceeding 55,000 feet in a hot air balloon. His records span many classes-hot air, helium, superpressure and combination balloons-and encompass altitude, distance and time aloft. He has the unusual distinction of being both a Senior Member of the American Institute of Aeronautics [AIAA], recognizing engineering experience and a Member of the elite Society of Experimental Test Pilots, recognizing his unique experimental flying.
Among the unique projects in his illustrious ballooning career are the design and construction of the first ever hot air balloon with a pressurized cabin, which Nott piloted to a world record altitude. Other achievements include the first crossing of the Sahara Desert; the first crossing of Australia; crossing the Alps; and piloting the world's first solar balloon across the English Channel. Nott also designed, built and piloted the Nazca Prehistoric Balloon, using only methods and materials available to the Pre-lnca Peruvians a thousand years ago.
The balloon cabin he flew to a world altitude record of 55,134 feet was the only item built after 1960 to be included in NASA's 1996 retrospective exhibition on high altitude ballooning. The premise of the exhibition was that balloons were an important precursor to manned space flight Nott is the first balloonist ever to receive the Gold Medal of the Royal Aero Club, previously awarded to only 34 luminaries such as the Wright Brothers, C.S. Rolls (founder of Rolls Royce Motors) and Neil Armstrong, the first man on the moon. His other awards include the FAI Montgolfier Diploma, the highest international award for ballooning, and the Rolex Award for Enterprise.
A prolific lecturer and writer, the design engineer has been the subject of three, full-length TV documentaries and has made frequent television appearances. He has contributed to a wide variety of newspapers and magazines including "The New York Times", "The Economist" and London's "Sunday Express" as well as scientific journals such as "The Proceedings of The Royal Institution" and US Air Force technical conference papers.
Educated at Epsom College, Nott holds a Master's Degree in Physical Chemistry from Oxford University and is an honorary Life Member of the Governing Body of St. John's College, Oxford. He is a Senior Member of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics and a member of the Institute's Scientific Balloon Systems and Technology Committee, a Member of the Society of Experimental Test Pilots, a Fellow of the Explorers Club and founder and Chairman of the Club's Technology Committee, a Fellow of the Royal Institute of Navigation and the Royal Geographical Society. For twelve years, he was a member of the Council of the Royal Aero Club (Patron HM The Queen; President, HRH The Prince Andrew) and has been Chairman, Vice Chairman and Secretary of The British Balloon and Airship Club. He has been a consultant on the design of the new US Navy Advanced Blimps since 1986.
Nott holds a license for all types of balloons with a commercial rating, an instructor's rating, a superpressure rating, a night rating; an unrestricted RT license; a parachuting "A" license; and an International (FAI) Sporting License.