NathanPerilous Frontier
The East German border with West Germany was filled up with guards everywhere. It would take a very fearless citizen to even attempt escaping this country. To say it was dangerous would be an utter understatement. It was reportedly one of the most guarded spots on Earth. It runs 866 miles and were strewn with landmines, with guards ready to fire at any threat spotted.
Heavily Guarded
The border had also been heavily barbed with wire fences and walls. The Berlin Wall dissected the capital into two parts. Watchtowers had also been filled with tens of thousands of soldiers, hundreds of guard dogs, with guns and ammunition, and a strict order to shoot anything fishy they saw on sight. So was it going to be safe flying over them?
Tricks Of The Trade
But then there comes a very good question. How would two unequipped men build a working hot-air balloon? Luckily, Strelzyk had been posted as a mechanic for the East German Air Force. Plus, he was also well versed as an electrician. This was definitely going to be an advantage to the guys and their families but only to an extent. Research needed to be done extensively.
Research Work
The two men did not waste any time and got to work immediately. They looked for and studied anything they could find information related to flight mechanics. They would need to carefully measure the exact size of the balloon too. They needed the balloon to be able to house eight people. However, this was just the beginning of their worries.
To Build A Balloon
One of the most important things they needed to plan out was the material for the balloon was going to be. Another task would have to be finding the material. Was tent fabric going to work? Maybe they could use other stuff like umbrella coverings, or bed linens? No matter what they were going to use, the fact that they were constantly in danger made them nervous all the more.
Sneaking Around
Since they lived in the little town like Poessneck, there was a huge drawback for Wetzel and Strelzyk. They were not able to get a huge quantity of fabric. It would obviously cause a lot of suspicions and they might even get investigated too. So they had no choice but to be very clever with their hot-air balloon idea. The two men had to sneak around for the materials.