1934-1983

American balloonist who completed the first balloon crossing of the Atlantic—from Presque Isle, Maine, to Miserey, France—on August 13, 1978, flying 3,107 miles (5,000 km) in l37 hours. In 1980 Anderson and his son Kristian made the first crossing of the North American continent, flying a gas balloon from San Francisco to Sainte-Félicité, Quebec, Canada—2,823 miles (4,500 km) in 100 hours.