Follow the balloons: 67th Coupe Aéronautique Gordon Bennett
Regular updates from Münster, northeast Germany at the 67th Coupe Aéronautique Gordon Bennett...
Useful Links
- Livetracking
- Event Website
- Images (FAI Flickr album)
- GB Facebook
- GB Instagram
- GB X
- Youtube (Gordon Bennett TV)
- Morning show: 10:00 CEST (08:00 UTC)
- Afternoon show: 17:00 CEST (15:00 UTC)
- Late show: 20:30 CEST (18:30 UTC)
- Livestream: Inflation & launch, Saturday 14 September 14:00 CEST (12:00 UTC)
17 September - we have a winner!
Christian Wagner and Stefanie Liller of team Austria-2 emerged victorious as the winners of the 67th Coupe Aeronautique Gordon Bennett. The duo clinched the win after an exhilarating journey from Münster, Germany, covering an impressive distance of 2111.16 km aboard their gas balloon before touching down today in Sagres, at the southwestern tip of Portugal, just metres ahead of two other teams: GER-3 and SUI-1.
17 September - TUESDAY MORNING update
The leaderboard has changed quite remarkably overnight: USA-1, USA-3 and NED-1 changed direction to head inland towards the central Castilla La Mancha region, whilst the other teams still in flight continued their south-westerly route towards the western-most point of Portugal. FRA-1 are currently wearing the crown on the livestream map, Christophe Houver and Guillaume Jouaville having sped ahead during the night hours. SUI-1 and FRA-3 and AUT-2 are almost neck and neck in hot pursuit, with the GER-1 balloon not very far behind.
Team FRA-1: Guillaume Jouaville (L) and Christophe Houver
16 September - MONDAY EVENING update
22h00: Twelve teams are heading into their third night aloft in a small basket, suspended by their gas balloons, after - as Tomas Hora pointed out on Gordon Bennett TV - travelling through Europe's major wine regions. The teams flew over Mosel, Champagne, Bordeaux and then Rioja (without stopping for a tasting!)
Two more teams have made safe landings: ESP-1 have very recently touched down on home turf, and SUI-2 (Balthasar Wicki and Rene Erni) landed in daylight after travelling 1,489.44 km, in Gascones, Spain.
SUI-2 landed safely in Gascones, Spain.
16 September - MONDAY AFTERNOON update
16h00 and after one day and almost 20 hours, USA-3 are in the lead, but only by a handful of kilometres. The Spanish ESP-1 team have opted for a slightly different trajectory, further north. Just behind USA-3 are NED-1 and USA-1.
The race continues - possibly into Monday night - with 14 teams, seven having made landings either in France or Spain. The Lithuanian LTU-1 balloon with father and son team, Robertas Komza and Danielius Komza, made a safe landing near Lodosa, Spain, after covering an impressive distance of 1285km. Team POL-1, with pilots Jacek Bogdanski and Przemyslaw Mocicki, touched down near Logroño, Spain, after completing 1,289.76km. Team USA-2, with pilots Barbara Fricke and Peter Cuneo, safely landed near Soria, Spain, after clocking up 1,379.34 km.
16 September - MONDAY MORNING update
A fourth Gordon Bennett gas balloon has made a safe landing in France - AUS 1 crew, Kiff Saunders and Dariusz Brzosowsk. Congratulations to them both!
This leaves 17 teams in the air - 8 teams are enjoying sea breezes over the Bay of Biscay, whilst 9 teams, including current leaders USA-3, are in Spanish skies over the mainland. Where to, now? Catch the 10:00 CEST update from Gordon Bennett TV:
15 September - SUNDAY EVENING update
21h30 CEST and Team BEL-1 have safely landed, as have GBR-1 and POL-2. The GBR and BEL-1 teams took the lead early in the race, but now remarkably, the three USA teams have stormed ahead, working together to take the three top spots among the 18 balloons still travelling in a south-westerly direction. Just behind them are NED-1 and POL-1.
Landing counts as the final resting position of the basket, not just a skim of the ground. These three teams have confirmed a landing.
The remaining balloons are all still taking the same direction towards Spain, having enjoyed stable conditions in France through the daytime hours.
15 September - SUNDAY morning update
During Saturday night, the 21 spherical gas balloons floated through the dark skies, crossing Germany and Luxembourg and the major airports who kindly cooperated in keeping the air space clear for passage.
Each team will follow its own strategy to keep the balloon aloft for the longest distance from the start point and become FAI Long Distance Gas Balloon Champion. This year it seems that the team meteorologists are united in believing that heading south-west towards France’s Pyrenees mountains and into Spain will give them the best chance of success. Speaking on Gordon Bennett TV, Tomas Hora pointed out that teams would probably avoid the turbulent massif central in France, but could choose the option to cross the Bay of Biscay into Spain, and perhaps even head towards Portugal, west of Faro.
Gordon Bennett TV Update from Sunday 15 September
up, up, and away!
Saturday 22h30 CEST and the Coupe Aéronautique Gordon Bennett gas balloons have launched from Münster, Germany for the 67th time in this magnificent event's history.
The teams seem to be cruising in a similar southerly direction, with GBR-1 (who launched first) leading the pack. Are they heading towards Luxembourg then France? We'll find out soon enough...
- Live tracking
- We received a link for an album of excellent launch photos. Check them out here!
Event director Sebastian Eimers expressed his gratitude to the Münster audience: "It’s incredible to see so many spectators come out, offering the teams a truly special setting."
Watch the launch
There will be a Gordon Bennett TV show on Saturday 14 September at 14:00 CEST (12:00 UTC) followed at 15:00 by a livestream showing the inflation and launch.
Latest video from Gordon Bennett TV playlist
saturday's Launch plan
The launch site will open on Saturday 14 September for the teams at 1:00 PM local time, allowing them to start preparations such as setting up baskets and storing instruments.
Filling is scheduled to begin at 3:00 PM. Although several balloons will be filled simultaneously, it will take about 4 hours to fill all the balloons.
By 7:30 PM, all the balloons will be positioned in front of the castle, and the launch of the first balloon is planned for 8:00 PM.
NB: This schedule is subject to modification according to weather conditions!
Draw sequence announced
"Hello Münster!"
During the Opening Ceremony on Thursday 12 September 2024, the officials and pilots were introduced:
Video from Gordon Bennett TV
A Brand New Balloon
Much to the delight of onlookers and balloon enthusiasts, a brand new Westfalen balloon was inflated, baptised and launched in central Münster using green hydrogen.
Image credit: Markus Haggeney
