Exhibit Explores the Science, Power, and Beauty of Weather
Science and technology stories relating to humankind’s exploration of the weather are very interesting, and the immersive 2,000-square-foot “Weather Lab” that opened recently at the Anderson-Abruzzo Albuquerque International Balloon Museum, in New Mexico, gives visitors an inspiring view of the inextricable relationship between weather and humanity. The exhibit features several educational and interactive weather pods […]
Balloon-powered Internet Reaches Tens of Thousands in Hurricane-Hit Puerto Rico
X redesigns essential cell tower components by making them light and durable enough to be carried by a balloon 20 km up in the stratosphere. (All photos courtesy of Project Loon) Two weeks after Hurricane Irma slammed into the Caribbean islands, Maria, a category 4 hurricane, devastated Puerto Rico on September 20th, and knocked out […]
Results for America’s Challenge Gas Balloon Race, 2017
Official results for 22nd America’s Challenge–distance race for gas balloons Updated 16th October 2017 Place Teams Pilots Distance Duration Landing Location 1 Team 6, Switzerland Nicolas Tièche / Laurent Sciboz 2,280.9 miles 3,670.76 km 59h 19m Labrador City, Canada 2 Team 4, Poland / USA Kryzstof Zapart / Andy Cayton 2,191 miles 3,526.06 km […]
Balloonists Break Many Records in Exciting Race; Nicolas Tièche and Laurent Sciboz Win America’s Challenge
Updated 16th October 2017 Gas balloon teams taking part in the 2017 America’s Challenge–a distance race for gas balloons–broke many records in an intense and exciting race that kept witnesses on the edge until the last team landed after a 69-hour-04minute flight, on Tuesday, 11th October. This Polish/American entry of Krzysztof Zapart and Andy Cayton (Team […]
Balloonists Locked in Tight Race Across America
As of this writing, it’s been more than 38 hours since eight teams took off on their gas balloon journey across America. They launched on 7th October 2017, Saturday around 9 PM, from Fiesta Park in Albuquerque, New Mexico. One team has landed. The teams have spent two cold nights in an open basket and […]
Interview with Jerry Copas: Aviator and Author
“What’s most intriguing about the 1925 crash of USS Shenandoah, America’s first rigid airship, is that the most modern state-of-the-art flying machine of the future, fell into this rural, disconnected, unenlightened part of America. There were roads in Noble County that had not even seen an automobile before and then by the end of the day […]
A Gripping Story of America’s Great Airship
Jerry Copas adds a new dimension with powerful images. The USS Shenandoah was a 680-foot-long rigid airship and the pride of the American Navy in 1925. It was built to fly as a scouting platform for the fleet at sea. But as she proved her super flying capabilities, she was turned into a publicity tool, […]
2017 World Long Distance Balloon Championship Results
Twenty-one gas balloon teams took part in the 61st Coupe Aéronautique Gordon Bennett Race. They took off on 8th September 2017, between 17:30 and 18:33 UTC from Epagny, Gruyères, Switzerland. Source: World Air Sports Federation ( Fédération Aéronautique Internationale, FAI). Landing Result Rank Team Pilots Time (UTC) Location Distance (km) Duration 1 FRA-1 Vincent LEŸS […]
French Pilots Win World’s Prestigious Gas-Balloon Race
French balloon pilots Vincent Leys and Christophe Houver won the 61st Gordon Bennett Cup over the weekend of 8-10 September 2017. The Gordon Bennett Cup is the oldest and most prestigious gas-balloon race in the world. The pair traveled 1,836.06km having launched on Friday 8 September 2017 from Gruyères near Fribourg, Switzerland. 61st Gordon Bennett […]
21 Gas Balloon Teams Race Across European Skies
61st Coupe Aéronautique Gordon Bennett Launch -gas balloon race. All photos courtesy of FAI, Marcus King. Yesterday, 21 gas balloon teams from 13 countries took off from Gruyères airfield, in Switzerland to compete in the 61st Coupe Aéronautique Gordon Bennett Gas Balloon Race. Each team consists of two qualified pilots. In gas balloon races, one […]
