Move over Mr Branson – Britain has a couple of new aeronauts to be proud of.

A Kent man has helped the first ever British team to win the world-famous – and rather eccentric – Gordon Bennett gas balloon race.

Jonathan Mason, a consultant clinical psychologist and balloonist from Conyer near Faversham, co-piloted a gas balloon with renowned adventurer David Hempleman-Adams across America in one of the biggest aviation events in the world.

Mr Mason, 35, said: “I think it might be seen as one of those slightly crazy things English people get involved in, but it is a good story.

“I’d like to think it would inspire people to go out and fly but I don’t know if it will.”

The challenge for each team on the Gordon Bennett race is to fly a gas balloon – which uses hydrogen rather than hot air - the furthest before the balloon descends.

Mr Mason and Mr Hempleman-Adams set off along with 11 other balloonists from Albuquerque, New Mexico, and flew more than 1,000 miles in 75 straight hours.

“It was pretty hard,” Mr Mason explained. “During the day it was more than 40degrees in the basket, and then it would drop to six or seven degrees at night. The change in temperature also affects how the balloon flies, so it takes a lot of concentration.

“It really is like camping in the air – you’re in a small tent and every time you move, the basket swings about.

“But we saw some amazing scenery on the way, so although it was intense, it was punctuated with some stunning views.”

The duo faced a nerve-wrecking landing, as they were forced to bring down their balloon down in the dark, when they hit a snow shower near Lake Michigan.

“It’s really difficult to judge your altitude in the dark – at one point we thought we were going to land on some little bushes, but they were actually 45ft trees.

“You also can’t see power lines, which a balloonist’s biggest problem.”

The pair eventually brought the balloon down in a field and went to a nearby hotel, thinking they had come second.

It wasn’t until the following morning that their ground support team sent them a note telling them they had won.

Mr Mason said: “It was wonderful to be the first British team to win it. It took a long time for it to sink in, as every time I started talking about it I became emotional.

“There is no prize for the race other than a very nice trophy, but the prize is the achievement, just having won it is enough.”

The win means Britain can host the Gordon Bennett race in 2010.