America’s Challenge Gas Balloon Race

Competitors from gas ballooning countries around the world were invited to compete in a distance race with the challenge, "Go the Distance!"

The Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta is no stranger to hosting gas balloon championship races. Six U.S. National Gas Balloon Championship series races were held from 1981 to 1986.

Mark Sullivan, America’s Challenge Event Director, is a long time Albuquerque balloonist, who became enamored with gas ballooning several years ago. Mark’s goal is to include gas ballooning in the AIBF’s annual schedule of events.

America’s Challenge Gas Balloon Race is open to all countries, with no limit on the number of entries from any country. The race is unrestricted with no boundaries and has one goal-Go the Distance! In addition to cash and other prizes to the top three finishers, the three USA balloonists in the race that fly the longest distance will have the opportunity to represent the United States in next year’s Coupe de Aeronautique Gordon Bennett Race to be held in Germany.

Twelve teams were entered in the race representing five countries. Launch preparation began Saturday afternoon, October 7th. By early evening the balloons were ready for launch. One by one they were brought to the launching platform. Joe Kittinger was first in the air. The female team of Lesley Pritchard Davies and Carol Rymer Davis were weigh-off by Event Director Mark Sullivan, Tom Davies, and Don Piccard. As the balloon began to ascend a change in the direction of wind caused their balloon to contact another. At the same time an oxygen bottle which had not been securely fastened dropped to the ground. Fortunately there was no damage to the balloon which was hit or to people on the ground.

Weather conditions were excellent for the balloons to fly long distances. And fly they did. Five balloons flew for 53 hours or more. One, Mike Wallace and Kevin Brielmann, stayed aloft for 67 hours.

Finally at the Wednesday morning pilot briefing it was announced, "The sky is pink!" Davies and Davis had landed near the Ohio/Pennsylvania border traveling 2,331,17 kilometers (1448.49 miles) and staying aloft for 60 hours.

Unfortunately the sky turned color as Davies and Davis launch came back to haunt them. An official protest was filed over the incident of hitting another balloon on takeoff. The jury, chaired by Debbie Spaeth with Dick Rudlaff and Jim Birk, assessed a five percent distance penalty against them. This moved them down into second place. An additional protest was made regarding the oxygen bottle which was considered as required equipment. The jury reconsidered their earlier decision and assessed an additional ten percent penalty. This dropped Davies and Davis down to fourth place, out of the money and out of representing the USA in next year’s Gordon Bennett. The adjusted distance for Davies and Davis is 1,961.5 km (1,231.3 miles)

The protest jury continued to meet and hear arguments for and against their decision for so severe a penalty. In the end the decision stood. For the second year in a row the U.S. Gordon Bennett qualifier has been marred by protests and appeals of jury decisions. In both cases pilots have been eliminated from representing the U.S. In both cases there has been considerable discussion over the process in assessing penalties.

Many gas balloonists feel that Davies and Davis were overly penalized and should represent the U.S. at the next Gordon Bennett. That support was demonstrated at the Gas Awards Dinner. When their names were called out as fourth place finishers the room came to a standing ovations that went on for several minutes. Their flight surpassed the Gordon Bennett distance record of 2,191 kilometers set by a French team in 1912.

The wining team was Richard Abruzzo and David Melton with a final distance of 2,241.71 km (1392.90 miles). They shared the $5,000 first place prize. Second place and $3,000 went to Mike Wallace and Kevin Brielmann with a distance of 2,076.39 km (1290.18 miles). Third place and $2,000 went to Troy Bradley and Tami Stevenson with a distance of 2,046.26 km (1271.46 miles).

The team from Holland, Rien Jurg and Ron Van Houten, might have won the event except for a disturbing incident. After 46 hours of flight they were near Edmonton, Kentucky at approximately 800 feet above the ground. They heard one gunshot. The next sound was that of escaping helium. The pilots vented and landed a short distance later. Neither pilot was injured.

The Festo team had already decided to fly through the night. They would have been able to fly a greater distance keeping them in contention to win the America’s Challenge Gas Balloon Race. The final results placed them in fifth with a distance of 1,890.96 km (1174.97 miles) in 46 hours.

Upon landing, the sheriff was contacted and told the details of the landing. Metcalfe County sheriff Rex Bunch told Van Houten that he wasn’t surprised that someone had taken a shot at the balloon. Interfering with flight is a federal offense and the FAA and FBI have been notified.