59th Coupe Aeronautique Gordon Bennett - 17 balloons set to compete from the Pyrenees

The 59th Coupe Aeronautique Gordon Bennett is scheduled to start at 22:45pm from Pau in the Pyrenees in France this evening.

17 teams are set to compete in the historical gas balloon competition. The aim of the teams is to travel as far from the launch site as possible. The final classification will be based on the greatest distance covered. The distance will be measured by determination of the arc of the great circle.

Each country is permitted to enter up to three teams. Each team consists of two pilots which must be rated to fly under visual flight rules during day and night. Pilots must be of the same nationality.

This year Austria and Spain have entered one team, Belgium Poland and USA have entered two teams and France, Germany and Switzerland have entered three teams.

Balloons are equipped with at least this minimum equipment: Altimeter,Variometer, Barograph or other altitude recording device, 720 channel VHF radio plus back up radio, Strobe light with minimum brightness required for aircraft, Beam light for night landing, GPS, Life raft or survival suites shall be carried for any anticipated flight over large bodies of water, ELT Emergency Locator Transmitter, Aircraft Transponder Mode S. There will also be oxygen supply on board as well as satellite-tephones. The entire flight is tracked from the Race Command Center and monitored to coordinate with the Air Traffic Control stations en route. All teams also have their individual support teams on the ground. Real-time positions and altitude are displayed on the internet.

Real Time Tracker:  http://gordonbennett.aero/live.html

This event requires a lot of co-ordination with ANSP's along the route. And as the path of the balloons is unknown this does require covering all scenarios.

A weather briefing is made as the launch time approaches so the probable trajectories of the balloons can be predicted. The last briefing estimates the balloons heading north from the Pyrenees and traversing Belgium, Holland or Germany depending on the altitude the teams fly at.

59th Gordon Bennett predicted trajectories.

We will be updating this page as the competition progresses.

Safe journey to all the teams.

Live pictures from the start:

Updates:

Fri 28 Aug:

22:15 GER1 moves into position. Wilhelm Eimers and Matthias Zenge on board. Wilhelm and Matthias are reigning champions from 2014. Wilhem is a four times winner 1995,96 & 2000 also in the trophy cabinet.

22:40 ATC co-ordination will first be provided by DSNA in France.

23:00 USA 2 is the first balloon to depart. GB2015 59th edition has begun.

23:05 POL1 next up Krzysztof Zapart & Bazyli Dawidziuk. Poland last won in 1983. 

23.07 SUI2 Kurt Frieden and Pascal-Witprächtiger. 

23:15 Balloons are taking to the air with a three minute gap. BEL1, FRA3 and finally GER1 are next to take to the air. ESP1 makes 7 ballons airborne. 10 to go.

 23:35 Bar incidents all balloons should be airborne at midnight. POL1 the 2nd starter is starting to climb. 

Sat 29 Aug:

00:00 All balloons except one withdrawal (AUS1) are airborne.

02:40 14 teams are heading west towards the coast. USA1 and BEL1 heading north at the higher altitudes.

04:00 Those 14 teams are now over sea over the west coast of France (30-40km/h). The 2 northbound balloons are only travelling at 5 Km/h

10:00 USA1 landed during the night near Allons (95.30km). The remaining 15 teams are heading North through Bordeaux some over the Bay of Biscay. Most ballons are around 10,000Ft. 18-24Kts.

16:30 Balloons heading towards Paris/Normandy.

 

22:00 GER2 has landed at Criquetot-sur-Ouville in Normandy. 712.15km. Perhaps to avoid CB's which were building off the Normandy coast.

22:20 FRA1 has also landed for possibly the same reasons . Both in the same vicinity and heading. Vincent LEYS & Christophe HOUVER landed in Saussay (approx 710km) in Normandy.

22:45 FRA2 next to ground for the same reason (647.89km). Marolles are the hosts of Pascal JOUBERT & Hervé MOINE

22:50 GER1 & BEL2 are the only 2 from 5 balloons who seem to have avoided the westerly draft. They are both on NE headings away from the coast.

23:50 Co-ordination will be required with Luxembourg Administration de la Navigation Aérienne (ANA). Belgocontrol, DFS as the balloons approach three borders.

Sun 30 Aug:

00:30 USA2 is 20 minutes away from the Luxembourg border. They will get a good view of the palace.

01:00 First balloon to leave French airspace. USA2. Crossing at the French/Lux border (Hussigny-Godbrange) / Differdange (Lux)

10:00 8 Teams are still flying 


12:00 4 teams landed:
BEL2 Near Lille Airport (FR) 844.11km
SUI3 Rancimont (FR) 849.34km
POL2 Gasperich (LUX) 852.39km
GER3 Rodemann (GER) 1125.75km

20:00

Leading balloons ESP1 & USA2 have landed in Poland. Avoiding entering Russian airspace. 
ESP1 near Bialystok (POL) 2056.26km
USA2 near Ostrow Mazowiecka (POL) 1937.49km
6 teams still airborne. (GER1,POL1,SUI1,SUI2,FRA3,BEL1)
GER1, POL1, SUI1, SUI2 are all decending and approaching the Russian border.

Monday 31st Aug:

11:00
BEL1 landed overnight near Sommersell (GER) 1191.47km

12:00 FRA2 has landed at Mokra (POL) 1487.37

Four teams left ; GER1, SUI1, POL1 & SUI2: Looks like the 59th edition of GB may be finished in the next few hours.


Situation @ 13:30 SUI1 heading for border gap to Latvia. GER1 heading for Russian border.
POL1 and SUI2 behind but on heading to Russian border.

16:45 GER1 landed and is new leader 2071.62km. 15km from the Russian border near Bierwicha (POL)

19:15 POL1 has landed. In the vicinity of Czyzew 1972.24km. There is a new leader SUI1 has just passed GER1's distance. They will be rapidly descending as they are approaching the border.

Only SUI2 remains airborne. Currently at 1938km their current track could be a winning one.

20:00 Final distance for SUI1 2080.79km 

Tuesday 01st September:
10:30 SUI2 landed overnight final distance 2067.75km.

This year's Gordon Bennet is won by SUI1 (2080.79km). Congratulations to Kurt Frieden and
Pascal-Witprächtiger.


Kurt Frieden Pascal-Witprächtiger winning team 59th Gordon Bennett Coupe Aeronautique

Final Result: