Hot air balloon that landed in Atlanta, part of international race

Last week Atlanta, 59 received a surprise visit from a hot air balloon that landed on the side of the highway. On Tuesday, October 10, the Austria crew of Gerald Stürzlinger and Helmut Meinhofer had a safe landing while competing in a hot air balloon race that began on October 7, 2023, in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

“The 66th Coupe Aeronautique Gordon Bennett, sponsored by BayoTech had a launch window for 17 hydrogen-filled gas balloons, representing nine countries, opened at 8:30 pm, Saturday the 7th. With the exception of France Team 3 which withdrew because of a leak in their envelope, all of the balloons lifted off from the same point. Launching over the span of an hour and a half, the gas balloons will follow a trajectory that will take them along Interstate-40 flying towards Oklahoma City.”

The race is promoted at the “world’s oldest and most prestigious air race, the 66th Coupe Aéronautique Gordon Bennett is the world championship for long-distance gas ballooning. Two-member teams fly 1,000 cubic meters (approximately 35,000 cubic feet) of hydrogen gas balloons. Balloons are equipped to fly for long distances, they cannot refuel in flight and complete their race upon landing. In previous years, competitors have traveled across the northeastern United States, some landing as far as “The Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta is proud to host this elite competition,” says Sam Parks, Executive Director.

“We wish all the pilots good luck and safe flights.” Among the competitors, mentioned in a release, “are last year’s champions, Wilhelm Eimers and Benjamin Eimers (father and son) from Germany. Willi Eimers is a five-time Gordon Bennett champion and holds the race’s duration record (92+ hours) and the record for the number of times a pilot has competed in the race. Also flying are three U.S. teams, all of whom are previous America’s Challenge champions: Noah Forden and Brenda Cowlishaw, Barbara Fricke and Peter Cuneo, and Mark Sullivan and Cheri White. More information on the competitors can be found at balloonfiesta.com/files/galleries/ Meet_the_Gordon_Bennett_Competitors_updated_ 10223_docx.pdf Each team was equipped with “YB Tracking technology. For the most up-to-date information and to track the balloons in real-time.

The racers that ended up in Atlanta were Gerald Stürzlinger heralded as “one of the race’s most experienced and colorful pilots – only Willi Eimers has competed in more Gordon Bennett races. The last time the Gordon Bennett was held in Albuquerque, Stürzlinger and copilot Helmut Meinhofer were the runners-up; he has finished in the top ten 16 times. Stürzlinger is also a world-class hot air balloon competitor. Wolfgang Spät is a professional balloonist with more than 1,300 pilot hours. This will be Spät and Sturzlinger’s fifth Gordon.” This race team ended up finishing 10 in this year’s contest.

The winner was a team out of France that traveled all the way to Jacksonville, North Carolina.

The Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta, powered by ExxonMobil, is the host for the 66th Gordon Bennett Cup. The Balloon Fiesta is a festival of hot air balloons that takes place in October in Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA.

For those who want to experience hot air balloons closer to home, the Red River Balloon Rally happens in Shreveport every year.