Note: This content on this site has been quickly copied from the original 2010 site. The old site was based on now-obsolete code and is no longer available. The info is for reference only and may not be complete!
The oldest and most prestigious aeronautical race in the world
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Final Competition Results (1st October 2010)
| Posn | Team Name |
Pilot 1 Name Pilot 2 Name Aerostat Reg. |
Takeoff (UTC) Landing (UTC) Flight Time |
Official Distance | Landing Location Near to |
| 1 |  SWI2 |
Kurt Frieden Pascal Witpraechtiger HB-QKF |
2010-09-25 23:08 2010-09-28 09:45 58hr 37min |
2434.31 km | 44°35.7183’N 28°45.6217’E Constanta, RO |
| 2 |  GER1 |
Wilhelm Eimers Ullrich Seel D-OBYN |
2010-09-25 22:56 2010-09-29 10:10 83hr 14min |
2312.66 km | 46°55.685’N 28°42.63’E Chişinǎu, MD |
| 3 |  GBR3 |
David Hempleman-Adams Simon Carey G-CGOZ |
2010-09-25 23:36 2010-09-29 10:07 82hr 31min |
2008.90 km | 43°49.616’N 21°50.067’E Nis, RS |
Richard Abruzzo and Carol Rymer Davis (USA2)
(Photo: George Bladon)
From the NTSB report published on 25th October 2010
On September 29, 2010, at 0558 coordinated universal time, a Ballonbau Worner hydrogen-filled balloon, N801NM, operated by Peak Express Balloon as an entry in the Coupe Aeronautique Gordon Bennett 2010 International Gas Balloon Race, was lost from Italian air traffic control (ATC) radar over international waters of the Adriatic Sea. As of October 4, 2010, neither the balloon nor the pilots were located.
On September 29, 2010, at 0558 coordinated universal time, a Ballonbau Worner hydrogen-filled balloon, N801NM, operated by Peak Express Balloon as an entry in the Coupe Aeronautique Gordon Bennett 2010 International Gas Balloon Race, was lost from Italian air traffic control (ATC) radar over international waters of the Adriatic Sea. As of October 4, 2010, neither the balloon nor the pilots were located.
On 6th December 2010 the missing balloon USA2 and the bodies of Carol and Richard were recovered from the Adriatic Sea by an Italian fishing boat.
On 8th September, the NTSB released a "factual report" stating that the balloon appeared to have been struck by lightening, after becoming surrounded by poor weather.