Balloonist floats off in flying house

An adventurer has aped the Disney movie Up by taking to the skies in a house attached to helium balloons.

Jonathan Trappe, 38, who was inspired by the 2009 Pixar film, staged a maiden flight ahead of a planned voyage across the Atlantic Ocean.

The cluster balloonist from Raleigh in North Carolina, debuted his floating house at the Leon International Balloon festival in Mexico.

It was a warm-up for his ambitious planned 2,500 mile transatlantic balloon flight in a 7ft lifeboat scheduled for next summer.

He said: "Every attempt before this was geared towards this flight. I've been training for a long time."

In 2010, he became the first person to fly the English Channel attached to helium-filled balloons.

"It's about living an interesting life - for me as the pilot and those watching," he added.

"So, one day we can look back and say: 'Humankind were able to pull this off. They did it'."