One mission aborted when the balloon flew away without its gondola, another when the gondola split away from its balloon. Helium containers have popped, fuel lines have blown, and balloons have flown off in the wrong direction. Balloons have crash landed in Russia and Algeria, in India and in Indiana, on mountaintops and in ravines. And Muammar Qaddafi has nearly scotched two of Steve Fossett's expeditions by delaying flyover permission till the last minute.