The 60th annual Gordon Bennett long-distance balloon race launched on Monday from Gladbeck, Germany, with 24 teams competing from 12 countries. Three teams, from Great Britain, Austria and Switzerland, landed the next morning to avoid flying into military airspace that was scheduled at short notice for a military exercise. By the end of the first 24 hours, half the teams had landed, and after two days, five balloons remained. Those pilots flew high above the snowy Alps, under an almost-full moon, posting spectacular pictures on social media. The teams now face a number of choices as they plan their strategy for the third day and night aloft.
Teams from Spain and Switzerland were neck-and-neck in the lead after crossing the Alps on Tuesday, according to the race website, and flew above the Mediterranean as dawn broke. Also still in the running are teams from Austria and Poland, and a second Swiss team. The winner will be the team that travels the farthest from the launch point, as measured in a straight line. Pilots must carefully manage their resources to stay aloft as long as possible, since flights are limited by the amount of ballast they can lift. Also, the lifting gas in the envelope is lost over time, as it expands in the sunlight and is vented off. The teams’ progress is tracked live online.
images: FAI
