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According to rules and tradition, the winner of the 42nd Coupe de Gordon Bennett is the host country for the following year's competition. But bad weather in the host country of France allowed the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FAI) to entertain bids for host sites for this year's race. The United States of America was one of several countries submitting bids to host the race. The FAI selected the United States resulting in Albuquerque hosting its second Gordon Bennett in recent history. Those responsible for bringing the race to the United States and New Mexico include: Mark Sullivan, U.S. ballooning delegate to FAI; Troy Bradley, Balloon Federation of America's Gas Balloon Division; and Steve Shope, Event Director. Returning to Balloon Fiesta Park in Albuquerque, where in 1993 Austria's Josef Starkbaum flew to victory in the 37th Coupe Gordon Bennett, pilots would participate in this premier event during the 1999 Kodak Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta. Warsteiner Beer and Matheson-TriGas partnered to sponsor the 43rd Coupe Gordon Bennett. Arriving for pilot registration and weather briefings, the 20 teams representing the countries of Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Japan, Netherlands, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom, and the United States prepared for the Saturday evening, October 2nd launch from Balloon Fiesta Park in Albuquerque. Adventurer and newspaper tycoon Gordon Bennett initiated this timeless challenge. He sponsored an annual auto race, airplane races and even co-funded Stanley's expedition to Africa to find Livingston. In 1906 he inaugurated his International balloon race from the Tuileries Gardens in Paris, France before a crowd of 200,000. The first winner of the event was an American, Lieutenant Frank P. Lahm. He and his co-pilot flew more than 400 miles to the northeast coast of England. Like that first flight, the goal of this age-old competition is to fly the farthest distance from the launch site. Flying great distances is a very appealing aspect to flying from Albuquerque. The six different gas balloon competitions launching from the Kodak Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta, including the 8th World Championships in 1994, have resulted in tremendous distances flown. Four of the flights completed in those competitions have been greater than 2,000 Kilometers (1,200 miles), and 12 flights have been greater than 1,500 Kilometers (900 miles). Hopes of capturing the winds that have provided those tremendous flights included 1994 winner, Christian Stoll from Switzerland, and two-time Gordon Bennett winner, Wilhem Eimers from Germany. A trio of accomplished and world-renowned gas balloon pilots, all of whom live in Albuquerque, New Mexico, hoped their familiarity with the United States' jetstream and terrain would assist their efforts. Mark Sullivan, a recipient of one of ballooning's highest honors, the Montgolfier Diplome, has competed successfully in all of Gas Ballooning's biggest events, finishing second in the 1997 Gordon Bennett competition. Richard Abruzzo is a two-time winner of the America's Challenge Gas Balloon Race. Abruzzo and Troy Bradley also hold the world record for being the first to fly a balloon from North America to Africa. In addition to winning the 1998 America's Challenge Gas Balloon Race, Bradley also holds various ballooning distance records for different balloon classes. The launch order for the 43rd Coupe Gordon Bennett included: 1. Hans Akerstedt & Janne Balkedal (SWEDEN) 2. Hans Jorg Frohlin & Max Krebs(SWITZERLAND) 3. Danielle Francoeur & Leo Burman(CANADA) 4. Philippe De Cook & Ronny Van Havere(BELGIUM) 5. Rien Jurg & Ron Van Houten(NETHERLANDS) 6. Mark Sullivan & David Levin(USA) 7. Johann Fürstner & Gerald Stürzlinger(AUSTRIA) 8. Tom Donnelly & Colin Wolstenholme(UNITED KINGDOM) 9. Thierry Villey & Philippe Buron Pilatre(FRANCE) 10. Sabu Ichiyoshi & Maco Oiwa(JAPAN) 11. Ruth E. Wilson & Jenny Houghton(AUSTRALIA) 12. Josef Hohl & Thomas Fink(GERMANY) 13. Christian Stoll & Werner Najer(SWITZERLAND) 14. Stan Wereschuk & Ron Martin(CANADA) 15. Troy Bradley & Bruce Hale(USA) 16. Simon Force & Janet Folkes(UNITED KINGDOM) 17. Peter Vizzard & Judy Lynne(AUSTRALIA) 18. Heinz Brachtendorf & Karl-Heinz Hutmacher(GERMANY) 19. Richard Abruzzo & Carol Rymer Davis(USA) 20. Wilhelm Eimers & Bernd Landsmann(GERMANY) The launch, commencing at 9:30 p.m., was completed less than an hour later with all teams successfully lifting to the skies. Shortly after launch the French team, flown by Thierry Villey & Philippe Buron Pilatre experienced problems with their balloon and landed in the early morning hours near Stanley, New Mexico. When the dawn arose over the New Mexico plains The Swedish team of Hans Akerstedt and Jan Balkedal had gone 112 miles when they reported in 15 miles southwest of Tucumcari, New Mexico. Troy Bradley and Bruce Hale of the USA reported a distance of 80 miles from a location 15 miles northwest of Santa Rosa, New Mexico. By 10:00 a.m. officials reported that the Australian team of two women, Ruth E. Wilson and Jenny Houghton, were in the lead at 145 miles. At 4:00 p.m., of the teams reporting, the team of Wilson and Houghton, the female Australian team, were still leading with a total distance of 265 miles, reporting in near Borger, Texas. The teams tied for 2nd were Force/Folkes of the United Kingdom and Vizzard/Lynne of Australia. The last report of the first full day of flying found the American team of Troy Bradley and Bruce Hale in the lead position. But the Australian team of Wilson and Houghton, leading for most of the day, landed 20 miles northeast of Canadian, TX. The team of Donnelly and Wolstenholme of the United Kingdom also landed. When the sun dawned on October 4th, the team of Bradley and Hale continued to lead the teams reporting their positions - traveling 720 miles, reporting in 20 miles south of West Plains Missouri. In the early morning hours, nine teams reported to the command center in Albuquerque that they had landed. By the 10am report, Bradley and Hale reported landing near Mammoth Springs, Arkansas, after logging 740 miles. The Switzerland team of Hans Jorg Frohlin and Max Krebs also landed. Of the nine teams are still aloft, the German team of Heinz Brachtendorf and Karl-Heinz Hutmacher are leading the reporting teams with 600 miles reported. By the end of the day, the Belgium team of Philippe De Cook and Ronny Van Havere surfaced, reporting their location near Tupelo, Mississippi. Their distance of 910 miles is the farthest of any reporting team. October 5th would be the final day of flight. By the time the sun would set, the Netherlands team of Jurg and Van Houten would travel 820miles landing near Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The Austria team of Füerstner and Stürzlinger would land near Lafayette, Louisiana. The distance of 910 miles, flown by the Belgian team of Philippe De Cook and Ronny Van Havere would be enough to beat the 19 other teams for the victory in the 43rd Coupe Gordon Bennett.
43rd Coupe Gordon Bennett Standings
© Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta Ferne Saltzman, Official Photographer
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OTHER ARTICLES OF ASI DECEMBER 1999 ISSUE
| News In Brief | Letters To The Editor | World Records | | 43rd Annual Gordon Bennett Cup | | 1999 Motegi Hot Air Balloon International Championship | | 1st World Junior Gliding Championship'99 | | Sun 'n Fun'99 | | My Only Older Brother' Sailplane | 
More articles on Ballooning
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43rd Coupe Gordon Bennett
Poised in the high desert of Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA, the international field of the world's best 20 gas balloon teams prepared for their flight to bring home the coveted 43rd Coupe de Gordon Bennett. The competition would promise to be as unique as the way in which this age-old event landed in Albuquerque.
