Articles

CIA Meeting Registration

 

Online registration for the FAI Ballooning Commissions Plenary Meeting 2017 is now closed.

If you wish to participate and have not yet registered, please contact the organiser: Mr Andy Chau with copy to FAI Assistant Sports Manager: Annick Hauser


 

 

 

Meeting Location
Hotel sáv Hong Kong
83 Wuhu Street, Hunghom, Kowloon, Hong Kong
T +852 2275 8888
F +852 2275 8999
info@hotelsav.com
www.hotelsav.com

To book your hotel room, download the hotel booking form and send it directly to the Hotel SAV with copy to the organisers

Champions

Hot Air Balloon (AX) Championships

Gas Balloon (AA) Championships

 

Hot Air Airship (BX) Championships

Rozier Balloon (AM) Championships

 


 

World Air Games

No Traveling Trophy

Num

Year and Location

Champion

1997 - Cappadocia, Turkey

Uwe Schneider (Germany)

2

2001 - Seville, Spain (AX)

Masahiko Fujita (Japan) 

2001 - Seville, Spain (AA - Gas)

Klaus Weisgerber & 
Astrid Gerhardt (Germany)

3

2009 - Mondovi, Italy

Sven Göhler (Germany)

 


 

World Hot Air Balloon (AX) Championship  

Kinsinger Traveling Trophy

Num

Year and Location

Champion

1

1973 - Albuquerque, USA

Dennis Floden (United States)

2

1975 - Albuquerque, USA

David Schaffer (United States)

3

1977 - York, England

Paul Woessner (United States)

4

1979 - Uppsala, Sweden

Paul Woessner (United States)

5

1981 - Battle Creek, USA

Bruce Comstock (United States)

6

1983 - Nantes, France

Peter Vizzard (Australia)

7

1985 - Battle Creek, USA

David Levin (United States)

8

1987 - Schielleiten, Austria

Albert Nels (United States)

9

1989 - Saga, Japan

Benedikt Haggeney (Germany)

10

1991 - St.Jean-sur-Richelieu, Canada

Albert Nels (United States)

11

1993 - La Rochette, Luxembourg

Alan Blount (United States)

12

1995 - Battle Creek, USA

Joe Heartsill (United States)

13

1997 - Saga, Japan

David Bareford (Great Britain)

14

1999 - Bad Waltersdorf, Austria

Bill Arras (United States)

15

2002 - Châtellerault, France

David Bareford (Great Britain)

16

2004 - Mildura, Australia

Markus Pieper (Germany)

17

2006 - Motegi, Japan

John Petrehn (United States)

18

2008 - Hofkirchen, Austria

François Messines (France)

19

2010 - Debrecen, Hungary

John Petrehn (USA)

20

2012 - Battle Creek, USA

Nick Donner (USA)

 


 

 Junior World Hot Air Balloon (AX) Championship

Num

Year and Location

Champion

1

2012 - Marijampole, Lithuania

 Rokas Kostiuskevicius (Lithuania)

 

 


 

 

Continental Hot Air Balloon Championships

European Hot Air Balloon (AX) Championship

Luxembourg NAC Traveling Trophy

Num

Year and Location

Champion

1

1976 - Skovde, Sweden

*Winner - Simon Faithful (Netherlands)
*Only 2 task flown - not a Championships

2

1980 - Arc-et-Senans, France

Joseph Starkbaum (Austria)

3

1982 - Ettelbruck, Luxembourg

Joseph Starkbaum (Austria)

4

1984 - York, England

Vic Trimble (Great Britain)

5

1986 - Stubenberg, Austria

Martin Messner (Switzerland)

6

1988 - Leszno, Poland

David Bareford (Great Britain)

7

1990 - Llerida, Spain

Csaba Molnar (Hungary)

8

1992 - Belfort, France

Uwe Schneider (Germany)

9

1994 - Murska Subota, Slovenia

Jean-Marie Huttois (France)

10

1996 - Schielleiten, Austria

Dave Bareford (Great Britain)

11

1998 - Katerineholm, Sweden

Stéphane Bolze (France)

12

2000 - Larochette, Luxembourg

Dave Bareford (Great Britain) 

13

2003 - Vilnius, Lithuania

Uwe Schneider (Germany)

14

2005 - Debrecen, Hungary

Uwe Schneider (Germany)

15

2007 - Magdeburg, Germany

Francois, Messines (France)

16

2009 - Brissac-Quincé, Anjou, France

Stefan Zeberli (Switzerland)

17

2011 - Lleida, Spain

Stefan Zeberli (Switzerland)

 

 


 

 

Women's European Hot Air Balloon (AX) Championship

Num

Year and Location

Champion

1

2010 - Alytus, Lithuania

Gabriela Slavec (Slovenia)

2

2012 - Frankenthal, Germany

Lindsay Muir (Great Britain)

 


 

North American Hot Air Balloon (AX) Championship

Canadian Balloon Association Traveling Trophy

Num

Year and Location

Champion

1

1982 - Battle Creek, Michigan, USA

Owen Keown (United States)

2

1984 - Grande Prairie, Alberta, Canada

Owen Keown (United States)

3

1986 - Barrie, Ontario, Canada

Richard Rudlaff (United States)

1988 - St. Jean-sur-Richelieu, Quebec, Canada

Chuck Bump (Canada)

5

1990 - San Antonio, Texas, USA

Bill Cunningham (United States)

6

1992 - Baton Rouge, Louisana, USA

Mark Sullivan (United States)

7

1994 - Brockville, Ontario, Canada

Bill Cunningham (United States)

 


 

Pacific Hot Air Balloon (AX) Championship

No Traveling Trophy

Num

Year and Location

Champion

1

1990 - Saga, Japan

Owen Keown (United States)

2

1992 - Grand Prairie, Canada

David Gleed (Canada)

3

1994 - Mildura, Australia

Edwin Mitchell (Australia)

4

1996 - Saga, Japan

Yasuhiko Asaoka, (Japan)

 


 

South American Hot Air Balloon (AX) Championship

No Traveling Trophy

Num

Year and Location

Champion

1

2006 - Rio Claro, Brazil

Sacha Haim (Brazil)

 


 

World Hot Air Airship  (BX) Championship

Luxembourg NAC Traveling Trophy

Num

Year and Location

Champion

1

1988 - Luxembourg

Oscar Lindstroem (Sweden)

2

1990 - Clumber Park, UK

Vincent Dupis (France)

3

1992 - Besancon, France

Guy Moyano (Luxembourg)

4

1994 - Chateau-d'Oex, Switzerland

Vincent Dupis (France)

5

1996 - Aosta, Italy

Jens Petersen (Germany)

6

1998 - Gatineau, Canada

Jacques Besnard (Switzerland)

7

2000 - Schielleiten, Austria

Jacques Besnard (Switzerland)

8

2008 - Tsarkoye Selo, St Petersbourg, Russia

Jacques Antoine Besnard (Switzerland)

9

2010 - Dole, France

Jacques Antoine Besnard (Switzerland)

 


 

European Hot Air Airship (BX) Championship

No Traveling Trophy

Num

Year and Location

Champion

1

1989 - Besancon, France

Mats Backlin (Great Britain)

2

1991 - Mondorf, Luxembourg

Guy Moyano (Luxembourg)

 


 

World Gas (AA) Championship 

BFA/Levin Traveling Trophy

Num

Year and Location

Champion

1

1976 - Augsburg, Germany

Peter Peterka & Jean-Paul Kuenzi (Switzerland)

2

1980 - Brussels/St. Niklaas, Belgium 

Brachtendorf & Karnstadt (Germany)

3

1982 - Berne, Switzerland

Peter Peterka & Jean-Paul Kuenzi (Switzerland)

4

1986 - Glendale, AZ, USA

Peter Peterka & Jean-Paul Kuenzi (Switzerland)

5

1988 - Augsburg, Germany

Josef Starkbaum & Gert Scholz(Austria)

6

1990 - Tyndall, SD, USA

Josef Starkbaum & Gert Scholz (Austria)

7

1992 - Obertraun, Austria

David Levin & Jim Schiller (United States)

8

1994 - Albuquerque, NM, USA

Thomas Fink & Rainer Hassold (Germany)

9

1996 - Bitterfeld, Germany

Thomas Fink & Rainer Hassold (Germany)

10

2004 - Bitterfeld, Germany

Peter Krafczyk/Uwe Schneider (Germany)

 


 

World Rozier (AM) Championship

No Traveling Trophy

Num

Year and Location

Champion

1

1990 - Tyndall, SD, USA

Nick Saum (United States)

 


 

European Rozier (AM) Championship

Num

Year and Location

Champion

3

1994 - Preddvor, Slovenia

 

 

Coupe Gordon Bennett - Stories and Articles

GORDON BENNETT AND HIS RACES From the Book: Die Gordon Bennett Ballon Rennen (The Gordon Bennett Races)
by Ulrich Hohmann Sr along with articles by others.

Many of his contemporaries have considered Mister James Gordon Bennett to be a spleeny American. He was born in New York, May 10th 1841 and died 4 days after his 77th Birthday in Beaulieu near Nizza/France. From his father, a Scottish journalist, he inherited the publishing house of the "New York Herald". Being a publisher makes somebody, even today, independent from money, but also requests a permanent struggle for increasing circulation.

Already in 1871, Gordon-Bennett proved his ability for "public relations", by sponsoring the expedition of Stanley, searching (and finding!) Livingstone, who was missing on his search for the source of the Nile. The later sponsorships of Gordon-Bennett therefore rooted more in his interest for business than in his interest for sports. The winners of ”his” competitions had to tell their adventures only to the reporters of the "New York Herald" as an exclusive story.

Today, we connect his name with the gas-ballooning. We don’t know, if he ever flew in a balloon. Already before 1900, he had donated 10.000 Francs to the Automobile Club de France as price-money for a motor car race, and he developed the rules himself. This first race then took place on June 14th 1900 from Paris to Lyon. In 1905 he offered to the still young Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FAI) the rules, a one time 25.000 Franc donation and 12.500 Francs for each of the following two years "for the most courageous and experienced pilots of the world struggling for the Grand Prix of the Air".

The competition rules were (and are still today) quite simple: Winner is the nation of the team that covers the maximum distance. Every nation may enter three balloon as maximum and is obliged to host the race in the following year, if they win. If one nation wins this challenge-cup in three following years, the cup finally comes to its possession and this nation has to sponsor a new cup, if the race should continue. This was all laid down in the 23 chapters of the rules, so the COUPE AERONAUTIQUE "Gordon Bennett" was on its way and the spark was ignited for the most fascinating and adventurous competition in ballooning.

The following are stories from each year:

Race #

Year

Launch Location

 

 

Beginning of the Gordon Bennett Tradition

1

1906

Paris, France

2

1907

St. Louis, USA

3

1908

Berlin, Germany

4

1909

Zurich, Switzerland

5

1910

St. Louis, Mo, USA

6

1911

Kansas City, USA

7

1912

Stuttgart, Germany

8

1913

Paris, France

 

1914 - 1919

no events during World War I

 

 

Interrupted by War the Race Flourishes  

9

1920

Birmingham, USA

10

1921

Brussels, Belgium

11

1922

Geneva, Switzerland

12

1923

Brussels, Belgium

13

1924

Brussels, Belgium

14

1925

Brussels, Belgium

15

1926

Antwerp, Belgium

16

1927

Detroit, USA

17

1928

Detroit, USA

18

1929

St. Louis, USA

 

 

Difficult Decade But They Keep Flying

19

1930

Cleveland, USA

 

1931

no event held

20

1932

Beale, Switzerland

21

1933

Chicago, USA

22

1934

Warsaw, Poland

23

1935

Warsaw, Poland

24

1936

Warsaw, Poland

25

1937

Brussels, Belgium

26

1938

Liege, Belgium

 

1939 - 1982

no events held

 

 

War But the Race Resumes After Many Years 

27

1983

Paris, France

28

1984

Zurich, Switzerland

29

1985

Geneva, Switzerland

30

1986

Salzburg, Austria

31

1987

Seefeld, Austria

32

1988

Bregenz, Austria

33

1989

Bregenz, Austria

 

 

Flying Longer Distances

34

1990

Lech, Austria

35

1991

Lech, Austria

36

1992

Stuttgart, Germany

 

 

- 1992 Article by David Levin

37

1993

Albuquerque, USA

38

1994

Lech, Austria

39

1995

Wil, Switzerland

40

1996

Warstein, Germany

41

1997

Warstein, Germany

42

1998

Paris, France - Cancelled due to weather

43

1999

Albuquerque, USA

 

 

GPS and Internet Tracking For All to See

44

2000

St. Hubert, Belgium

45

2001

Warstein, Germany

46

2002

Chatelerault, France

47

2003

Arc-et-Senans, France

48

2004

Thionville, France

49

2005

Albuquerque, USA

50

2006

Wassmunster, Belgium

51

2007

Brussels, Belgium - Cancelled due to weather

52

2008

Albuquerque, USA

53

2009

Geneva, Switzerland

 

 

 - Headquarters Operations Log

 

 

 - Balloon Federation of America Gas Division Newsletter

54

2010

Bristol, United Kingdom

55

2011

Gap-Tallard, France

56

2012

Ebnat-Kappel, Switzerland

57

2013

Nancy, France

58

2014

Vichy, France

Coupe Gordon Bennett - Results

The results link for each race will list the participants and their results.

Num

Year

Starting Point

Winner

Ctry

Distance
(km)

More details

1

1906

Paris, France

Frank Lahm
Henry Hersey

USA

641.1

Results

2

1907

St. Louis, USA

Oscar Erbsloh
Henry Clayton

GER

1403.55

Results

3

1908

Berlin, Germany

Theodor Schaeck
Emil Messner

SUI

1190

Results

4

1909

Zurich, Switzerland

Edgar W. Mix
Andre Roussel

USA

1121.11

Results

5

1910

St. Louis, USA

Alan R. Hawley
Augustus Post

USA

1887.6

Results

6

1911

Kansas City, USA

Hans Gericke
Otto Duncker

GER

757.84

Results

7

1912

Stuttgart, Germany

Maurice Bienaime
R. Rumpelmayer

FRA

2191

Results

8

1913

Paris, France

Ralph M Upson
R.A.I. Preston

USA

618

Results

1914 - 1919

No events held during World War I

9

1920

Birmingham, USA

Ernst Demuyter
M. Labrousse

BEL

1769

Results

10

1921

Brussels, Belgium

Paul Armbruster
L.Anserruler

BEL

766

Results

11

1922

Geneva, Switzerland

Ernest Demuyter
Alexander Veenstra

BEL

1372.1

Results

12

1923

Brussels, Belgium

Ernest Demuyter
L.Coeckelbergh

BEL

1155

Results

13

1924

Brussels, Belgium

Ernest Demuyter
L.Coeckelbergh

BEL

714

Results

14

1925

Brussels, Belgium

A. Veenstra
P.Quersin

BEL

1345

Results

15

1926

Antwerp, Belgium

Ward T. van Orman
Walter W. Morton

USA

864

Results

16

1927

Detroit, USA

Edward J. Hill
A.G. Schlosser

USA

1198

Results

17

1928

Detroit, USA

William E. Kepner
WO. Eareckson

USA

740.8

Results

18

1929

St. Louis, USA

Ward T. van Orman
A.L. McCracken

USA

548.94

Results

19

1930

Cleveland, USA

Ward T. van Orman
A.L. McCracken

USA

872

Results

1931

No event held

20

1932

Basle, Switzerland

T.G.W. Settle
W.Bushnell

USA

1550

Results

21

1933

Chicago, USA

Francyzek Hynek
Zbigniew Burzynski

POL

1361

Results

22

1934

Warsaw, Poland

Francyzek Hynek
W. Pomaski

POL

1333

Results

23

1935

Warsaw, Poland

Zbigniew Burzynski
W. Wysocki

POL

1650.47

Results

24

1936

Warsaw, Poland

Ernest Demuyter
Pierre Hoffmans

BEL

1715.8

Results

25

1937

Brussels, Belgium

Ernest Demuyter
Pierre Hoffmans

BEL

1396

Results

26

1938

Liege, Belgium

Antoni Janusz
Franz Janick

POL

1692

Results

1939 -1982

No events held

27

1983

Paris, France

Stefan Makne
Ireneuz Cieslak

POL

690

Results

28

1984

Zurich, Switzerland

Karl Spenger
Martin Messner

SUI

793

Results

29

1985

Geneva, Switzerland

Josef Starkbaum
Gert Scholz

AUT

342

Results

30

1986

Salzburg, Austria

Josef Starkbaum
Gert Scholz

AUT

272.43

Results

31

1987

Seefeld, Austria

Josef Starkbaum
Gert Scholz

AUT

852

Results

32

1988

Bregenz, Austria

Josef Starkbaum
Gert Scholz

AUT

1110.9

Results

33

1989

Bregenz, Austria

Josef Starkbaum
Gert Scholz

AUT

911.2

Results

34

1990

Lech, Austria

Josef Starkbaum
Gert Scholz

AUT

692.5

Results

35

1991

Lech, Austria

Volker Kuinke
Jurgen Schubert

GER

1024.9

Results

36

1992

Stuttgart, Germany

David Levin
James Herschend

USA

964.2

Results

37

1993

Albuquerque, USA

Josef Starkbaum
Rainer Rohsler

AUT

1832

Results

38

1994

Lech, Austria

Karl Spenger
Christian Stoll

SUI

825.1

Results

39

1995

Wil, Switzerland

William Eimers
Bernd Landsmann

GER

1628.1

Results

40

1996

Warstein, Germany

William Eimers
Bernd Landsmann

GER

1286.9

Results

41

1997

Warstein, Germany

Vincent Leys
Jean-Francois Leys

FRA

1732.5

Results

42

1998

Paris, France

Cancelled due to weather

Pilots

43

1999

Albuquerque, USA

Phillipe de Cock
Ronny Van Havere

BEL

1666.54

Results

44

2000

St. Hubert, Belgium

William Eimers
Bernd Landsmann

GER

795.7

Results

45

2001

Warstein, Germany

Vincent Leys
Jean-Francois Leys

FRA

1616.6

Results

46

2002

Chatelerault, France

Vincent Leys
Jean-Francois Leys

FRA

1282.3

Results

47

2003

Arc-et-Senans, France

Vincent Leys
Jean-Francois Leys

FRA

1596.5

Results

48

2004

Thionville, France

Richard Abruzzo
Carol Rymer Davis

USA

1803.36

Results

49

2005

Albuquerque, USA

Bob Berben
Siméons Benoît

BEL

3400.39

Results

50

2006

Wassmunster,
Belgium

Phillipe de Cock
Ronny Van Havere

BEL

2449.6

Results

51

2007

Brussels,
Belgium

Cancelled due to weather

Pilots

52

2008

Albuquerque, USA

David Hempleman-Adams
Jonathan, Mason

GBR

1768.67

Results

53

2009

Geneva, Switzerland

Sebastien Rolland
Vincent Leys

FRA

1588.294

Results

54

2010

Bristol,
United Kingdom

Kurt Frieden
Pascal Witpraechtiger

SUI

2424.31

Results

55

2011

Gap-Tallard,
France

Sebastien Rolland
Vincent Leys

FRA

780.660

Results

56

2012

Ebnat-Kappel,
Switzerland

Sébastien Rolland / Vincent Leys

FRA

1620.06

Results

57

2013

Nancy, France

Vincent Leys / Christoph Houver

FRA

1402.43 Results

58

2014

Vichy, France

Wilhelm Eimers / Matthias Zenge

GER

1410.64

Results

59

2015

Pau, France

Kurt Frieden / Pascal Witprächtiger

SUI

2080.80 Results

60

2016

Gladbeck, Germany

Kurt Frieden / Pascal Witprächtiger

SUI

1803.40

Results

Gallery

[flickr set=72157627115094353]

CIA Representatives

Balloon Competition Loggers

Since 2007 the CIA New Technology Subcommittee was supporting the development of specific balloon competition loggers. The goal was to get devices that full fill the requirements for nowadays balloon competition both in precision and functionality. The development was mainly done by Lukas and Marc André and supported by Claude Weber.

A collaboration with Flytec was chosen that allowed the usage of their existing hardware 6020 (flight instrument for hang gliders). The final product is a modified 6020 device with a custom self-written firmware.
The new balloon competition loggers heavily improve balloon competitions:

  • Virtual marker drops give the decision of marks back to the pilot
  • Goal declarations allow the re-introduction of Fly-On and Pilot Declared Goal tasks
  • The pilot can see the logged altitude
  • No more waste, the loggers work with rechargeable batteries
  • Fraud protection
  • Easy logger management for officials

More info at www.balloonloggers.org

The search function below allows you to find athletes who have competed at FAI events (World and Continental Championships, World Air Games) and all the information related to them such as results, awards, records, badges and other achievements.

  1. Enter the name of the athlete you wish to find. You may enter as many letters of the name as you wish, however you must enter at least 3 letters.
  2. Click the Search button.
  3. Click on the "+" sign

If your search shows no results, check the spelling of the name entered in the search field.

Rankings

CIA World Hot Air Balloon Ranking List

The purpose of the CIA World Ranking List is to show a ranking of the top hot air balloon pilots of the world and provide a performance comparison among them. The list is established by a calculation formula that includes the results of the last five World Championships resp. World Air Games and to a lesser degree the competitor's national ranking position.


CIA World Airship Ranking List

The CIA World Airship Ranking List will soon be published here.

Coupe Aéronautique Gordon Bennett - History

The history of the Coupe Aeronautique Gordon Bennett is rich with incredible flights, colorful pilots, stories and results.  It is a race that has spanned almost three centuries and one that continues to reflect the challenges and adventures of ballooning.

Historial articles, books and images are welcome. 

Subcategories