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"Among the most outstanding scenes were a starry, moonlit night over the Atlas Mountains and the ever-changing beauty of the desert - the shapes of sand dunes and colours from pale pink through almost every shade of red to violet - even bright blue, where a lake had left its mineral residue thousands of years ago. Sometimes there was black rock rising from golden sand; other times, just utter desolation with nothing to see but flat stony desert."

The Breitling Orbiter flew over Morocco, Western Sahara, Mauritania, northern Mali, southern Algeria, Libya, north-eastern Sudan and Egypt. After almost three weeks airborne, Jones and Piccard landed in the Egyptian desert on 21st March 1999. "The landing was dangerous, as we had to negotiate a steep rocky ridge before touching down on a huge, flat, featureless plateau just east of the Great Sea of Sand. It felt wonderful to savour our return to terra firma in a place miles from civilisation, as utterly alone as we had been for the previous twenty days."

Their flight set seven world records, including duration, distance, altitude and speed. Unsurprisingly, Brian and Bernard became instant celebrities; more surprising was that they used their million-dollar prize money and new-found fame to establish a charity, Winds of Hope, to fight for some of the world's lesser-known causes. Since its inception, the charity has focused on Africa, working to eradicate the malicious childhood disease Noma, a gangrenous infection that consumes facial tissue, causing deformation and death. This is clearly a deserving cause, but why, having circled the world, did Brian and Bernard choose Africa?

"When we flew over North Africa, things were going well: we had climbed outside the capsule and fixed a few problems, and were feeling pretty pleased. This was when we started talking in philosophical terms," explains Brian. "The question came to us: ‘How can the magnificence of this part of the planet be home to some of the worst miseries imaginable?' Fate had placed us in such a privileged position, giving us the opportunity to chase our dream of flying a balloon around the world, with so much funding and so many people helping us. From this exalted spot, we were enjoying the beauty of the landscape below, when if we could have used a telescope we would have seen children dying of starvation and preventable disease, and adults trying to kill each other just because they're from different areas or tribes or religions. How can one reconcile such extremes of fortune? There simply was no choice-we had a duty to try to do something about it. It was a promise we made to ourselves and each other." It's a promise they've kept with impressive commitment. "Following the flight, we had a million dollars and our new-found celebrity. We realised that the attention we were receiving could be our most valuable tool-we were meeting royalty, heads of state, business leaders and pop stars. We had the power to raise awareness. What earthly good is celebrity if it can't be put to use? "We decided that we should concentrate on children who are suffering in ways and situations of which the public has little knowledge. We visited a hospital in Switzerland run by the charity Terres des Hommes, where several hideously disfigured children were awaiting surgery to give them some semblance of a face. These were described as the ‘lucky' victims of Noma: they were still alive. The more we learned, the surer we were that we had found our cause."

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The disease starts in the mouth, then spreads, destroying facial tissue within weeks, replacing a cheek or a nose with a hole. It kills 85% of its 100,000 young victims each year. Children who survive face extensive surgery to correct their disfigurement (if helped by a charitable organisation) or are hidden by a family reluctant to display the "curse" they've suffered. Yet Noma can easily be treated with simple antibiotics or an antiseptic mouthwash. If caught in the early stages, no long-term damage results.

Brian and Bertrand chose Niger as their first target. "The government was helpful and the political situation stable," explains Brian. "On arrival we were met by officials, TV crews and the press, and we had an audience with the President-all vital in establishing our credentials. After that, we never once had difficulty with travelling throughout the country. There was no interference from local officials and we have thorough accounting procedures with the assistance of World Health Organisation representatives." In Niger, Winds of Hope has trained over 2000 health workers to recognise and treat the earliest signs of the disease.

Since the Breitling Orbiter's success, Brian has received numerous honours and awards, including an OBE, the Olympic Order and several honorary degrees. He didn't expect to find himself on board Orbiter 3, but given his past, it seems only logical. He has flown gliders since he was 16, reaching instructor level while pursuing a career in business. In 1986 he was introduced to ballooning. Instantly captivated, he qualified as a balloon instructor, eventually selling his company to become a consultant to commercial ballooning enterprises. In 1997, as Chief Flying Instructor for balloons at the British Balloon and Airship Club, he was invited to join the Breitling Orbiter team, taking charge of the balloon's capsule and pilot training. Initially a backup pilot, he became operating pilot in November 1998.

His commitment to Africa matches his passion for flight. "I have no idea why Africa gets into the blood; it just does. While I was in the RAF in the early seventies I was involved in famine relief in Sudan; I've travelled in Kenya and taught ballooning in Zimbabwe-all great countries with wonderful people and children who still have the respect that's lacking in their European counterparts. How do some change into selfish, corrupt, warlike megalomaniacs seemingly intent on destroying their continent? Maybe part of Africa's attraction is its phenomenal potential. I would dearly like to feel optimism for its future, but its progress seems so slow, with one country finding democracy only to be counteracted by another sliding back into the despair of war or famine, usually both."

Yet such concerns don't compromise Brian's goals. In January 2003 he and Bertrand will make another trip to West Africa to monitor Wind of Hope's progress. "We will try to extend our success in Niger to Burkina Faso and Mali. Our long-term goal is the eradication of Noma worldwide. If this were the legacy of the Breitling Orbiter 3, what a triumph it would be."