On 16 September 1979, eight people from two families escaped from East Germany by crossing the border into West Germany at night in a homemade hot air balloon. The unique feat was the result of over a year and a half of preparations involving three different balloons, various modifications, and a first, unsuccessful attempt. The failed attempt alerted the East German authorities to the plot, but the police were unable to identify the authors before their second, successful flight two months later.
^ abWetzel, Günter. "Die Nacht der Flucht". Ballonflucht.de. Archived from the original on 19 September 2020. Retrieved 16 September 2019.
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