Jonathan Trappe: IT manager attempts to cross Atlantic simply by clinging to helium BALLOONS Jonathan Trappe, 39, took off from Maine on Thursday morning and expects the journey to Europe will take him between 3 and 5 days He could land anywhere between Iceland and Morocco To control the aircraft, he will pop balloons or drop ballast Five people have died during 12 conventional hot air balloon attempts A daring aviator today began the world's first ever attempt to cross the Atlantic ocean dangling precariously from a massive cluster of helium-filled balloons. Jonathan Trappe, 39, did not allow heavy fog to put him off his nail-biting journey on Thursday morning and achieved lift-off at 6.20am from Caribou, Maine. Like a fairytale from the Disney movie 'Up', the North Carolina man will attempt to make the 2,500-mile solo trip to Europe relying on 370 colorful balloons filled with helium. It is a feat that has never been attempted before, but Mr Trappe has not allowed that - or the fact that five people have died trying to cross the Atlantic in conventional hot air balloons - to deter him. Off he goes! Jonathan Trappe reaches incredible heights in his balloon cluster system on Thursday in Caribou, Maine as he tries to become the first person to cross the Atlantic by helium-filled balloons Fearless: Trappe next to his specially crafted boat, which is attached to the giant balloons filled with helium, as he prepares to start his challenge. If he drops into the sea, he hopes the boat will save him 'I'm just as afraid of dying as anyone,' he said. But I go forward in the spirit of adventure, doing something nobody has achieved before, and to live an interesting life. A successful crossing will see Trappe fly into the history books as the first person ever to scale the ocean in a flight of this type. Incredibly, winds could see him land anywhere between Iceland and Morocco after a journey expected to take between three and five days. Trappe is relying on state-of-the-art weather data from the meteorologist who advised Felix Baumgartner on his record-breaking skydive from the stratosphere last year. The latest weather reports before the launch suggested winds would take Trappe to western Europe. We have lift off! Jonathan Trappe takes to the air on a cluster of balloons in a bid to become the first man to successfully cross the Atlantic Ocean in such a way Up, up and away: Mr Trappe achieved lift-off at 6.20 am (11.20am GMT) in heavy fog from Caribou, Maine, in the United States and is aiming for Europe Easy does it: The IT manager emerges through the fog as he makes a slow and steady ascent from the U.S. 'Weather is absolutely the most dangerous factor,' said Trappe speaking immediately before launch. 'But it's a double-edged sword. It's the only thing that will carry me across, but bad conditions could also ruin the attempt or endanger my life.' Trappe and his team had faced an agonising wait of more than 100 days in Caribou for weather conditions good enough to carry him across the 'Pond', typical for this time of year. Global weather systems being monitored by the project meteorologists stared lining up on Monday, but local storms around Maine threatened to destroy the cluster balloon system and forced Trappe to stay grounded. Trappe, an IT technical project manager from Raleigh, North Carolina, said: 'It was nail biting waiting for a weather window that would allow me to get up into the air and catch those transatlantic winds we'd been seeing. At the mercy of nature: The latest weather reports suggested winds would take Trappe to western Europe Amateur adventurer: Mr Trappe is an IT technical project manager from Raleigh, North Carolina A long way up: This latest challenge could take Jonathan up to six days to complete New frontier: Trappe already holds the record for the longest-ever cluster balloon flight of 14 hours I need to get on them and ride them across like a conveyor belt. During the crossing, Trappe faces climbing as high as 25,000ft to ride the winds that will propel him towards Europe. To ascend he'll drop ballast and will pop balloons or release them into the air if he needs to fly lower because favourable winds are at lower altitudes. Trappe already holds the record for the longest ever cluster balloon flight of 14 hours. 'This is far greater than anything achieved before,' he said. I'm looking at 62 hours or longer.' Gassing away: Mr Trappe and his volunteers inflate the balloons needed for his trip across the Atlantic Perilous: Five people have died trying to cross the Atlantic ocean in 12 total attempts using hot-air balloons or more conventional single gas balloons Unconventional mode of transport: Some of the 370 balloons that Mr Trappe will use to attempt the 2,500-mile solo trip In good hands: Trappe is relying on state-of-the-art weather data from the meteorologist who advised Felix Baumgartner on his record-breaking skydive from the stratosphere last year The time is now: Trappe and his team had faced an agonising wait of over 100 days in Caribou for weather conditions good enough to carry him across the 'Pond' On a wind and a prayer: Trappe could be blown anywhere between Iceland and Morocco after a journey expected to take between three and five days He became the only person to have crossed the English Channel by cluster balloon in May 2010, and the Alps in September 2011. Previous flights have seen him travel in a simple office chair suspended by the balloons. This time he's elected to dangle inside a small yellow life boat in case he ditches into the ocean. If I touch down on water then the attempt will be over as it will be impossible to take off again, but the boat will keep me alive. It will be incredibly dangerous as I could be several days away from any rescue crew and it will mean surviving rough seas for a long time, alone. Experience at his side: Jonathan Trappe with Colonel Joe Kittinger, 84, who acted as Capsule Communicator during Felix Baumgartner's skydive from space Wishing him well: Mr Trappe with his partner Nidia Ramirez Has previous: Trappe became the only person to have crossed the English Channel by cluster balloon in May 2010 and then the Alps in September 2011 While Trappe is the first ever to attempt an Atlantic cluster balloon crossing, five people have died trying to cross the ocean in 12 total attempts using hot-air balloons or more conventional single gas balloons. In 2008, Brazilian priest Adelir Antônio de Carli died after he drifted out to sea while trying to set a record for a flight using helium-filled party balloons. Father Adelir Antonio de Carli began his flight suspended in a harness-like seat from 1,000 balloons in the southern port of Paranagua. He had intended to fly 20 hours due west, but unexpected winds carried the 42-year-old out over the south Atlantic on a southeasterly course. Life imitates art: In the Pixar film, Carl Fredricksen strapped hundreds of equally bright balloons to his house to transport it from the U.S. to South America Also advising on the project is aviation hero Colonel Joseph Kittinger. Kittinger, 84, acted as Capsule Communicator during Felix Baumgartner's skydive from space and was the first person to make a solo Atlantic crossing by gas balloon, in 1984. 'I accepted the role of advisor on this project because I want to help a young man achieve his dream, to reach his goal,' said Kittinger. Like me, Trappe wants to be remembered for achieving something that nobody has achieved before him. I'm here because I believe he can do it. His planning has been meticulous and if anyone can make this, he can. To follow Jonathan's progress through his official media partners visit: http://upacrosstheatlantic.com.