FAI - Annual Report 2014

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FAI ANNUAL REPORT–2014 12
Air Sports
Ballooning
Commission
CIA
In 2014 the FAI Ballooning Commission continued to steer
the process of developing its activities amongst women
and juniors. The World and Continental Championship
events in these categories are now firmly established, as
the success of the 1st FAI Women’s World Hot Air Balloon
Championship and of the 2nd FAI Junior World Hot Air
Balloon Championship showed. Efforts were also made
for more media and TV coverage of the competitions, and
particularly of its star event, the Coupe Aéronautique
Gordon Bennett, which was granted full support and
branding by FAI’s sponsor Breitling. In this event the four
best teams made remarkable long distance overwater
flights from France to Sicily, the winning team having
flown 61h 35mn over 1410.64 km in a straight line from
take-off.
CHAMPIONSHIPS & EVENTS
−− 21st FAI World Hot Air Balloon Championship
in Rio Claro, SP (BRA)
−− 58th Coupe Aéronautique Gordon Bennett
in Vichy (FRA) →
−− 2nd FAI Junior World Hot Air Balloon Championship
in Vichy (FRA) →
−− 1st FAI Women’s World Hot Air Balloon Championship
in Leszno (POL)
−− 2014 Tochigi Hot Air Balloon International
Championship in Tochigi (JPN)
Additionally, the 19th Australian National Balloon
Championships and Canowindra International Balloon
Challenge featured in the 2014 FAI Events Calendar.
14TH INTERNATIONAL YOUTH CAMP
The Commission supported the 14th International Youth
Camp in Radesin, Czech Republic, which allowed young
people from all parts of the world to discover hot air and
gas ballooning with activities such as balloon chasing and
retrieving, introduction to the safety of ballooning and
model ballooning.
CIA HALL OF FAME
The Selection Committee of the CIA Hall of Fame, which
recognises thosewhohavemade significant contributions to
Ballooning (including thosewho have excelled in business,
history, design and engineering, in addition to those better
known for their contributions in flying balloons or airships
of any category, in competition or records), accepted the
following nominations:
−− Richard Abruzzo, USA (posthumous)
−− Troy Bradley, USA
−− James Gordon-Bennett, USA (posthumous)
−− Julian Nott, USA/UK
−− Carole Rymer-Davis, USA (posthumous)
The inductees for 2013 are:
−− Janne Balkedal, SWE
−− Umberto Nobile, ITA (posthumous)
MEETINGS
The Delegates of the Commission met in Lausanne,
Switzerland, on 21 and 22 March 2014.