Organizers urge safe passage for sport balloons that appear to be similar to spy balloons that crossed the Pacific
ALBUQUERQUE, NM / ACCESSWIRE / October 3, 2023 / Seventeen balloons will travel across the United States as part of the 66th annual Coupe Aéronautique Gordon Bennett (Gordon Bennett) hot air race, which will start from the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta on October 7, 2023. During this internationally renowned distance race, The pilots will test their skills and abilities as they aim to fly as far as possible from Balloon Fiesta Park in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
“The balloons you'll see flying across the United States as part of the Gordon Bennett Race are FAA-registered aircraft flown by some of the most talented pilots from around the world,” said Sam Parks, Executive Director, Albuquerque International Balloon. Feast. “We are excited to host this event and see how far these pilots can travel.”
Hydrogen gas sport balloons launched from Albuquerque's Balloon Fiesta Park will historically fly long distances. A typical flight path would include an area between Minnesota and Virginia, with winners landing as far away as Minnesota, Pennsylvania, Vermont, and Canada's Quebec and Newfoundland. The first Gordon Bennett was launched in 1906, with 16 balloons launched from the Tuileries Gardens in Paris, France. The United States last hosted Gordon Bennett in 2008 when sports balloons were launched from Albuquerque.
From the ground the sport balloons will appear in a spherical shape, typically white and/or yellow in color, carrying a team of two people in the gondola. Unlike the spy balloons spotted earlier this year over the northern United States and Canada, these sport balloons are much smaller and will have flags draped from either the nacelle or the envelope of the balloon. In addition, they will be easily tracked online as the sports balloons float across the middle part of the country to the northeast.
YB tracking technology will be utilized by pilots during Gordon Bennett, which enables satellite tracking of these balloons. You can watch the balloons participating in Gordon Bennett, here: https://live.gordonbennett.aero
The full list of participating teams can be found here: https://balloonfiesta.com/Gordon-Bennett-2023
More information about this match can be found here: https://balloonfiesta.com/Gordon-Bennett-News-Releases-and-Announcements2
About the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta & Gordon Bennett Cup
The Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta, sponsored by ExxonMobil, is the host for the 66thu Gordon Bennett Cup. Balloon Fiesta is a hot air balloon festival that takes place in October in Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA. For details on events, schedule, entertainment and photos visit our website www.balloonfiesta.com and follow us on Twitter @BalloonFiesta and Facebook.
Media contact: media@balloonfiesta.com
SOURCE: The Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta
