November 1999
The FédérationAéronautique Inter-
national announced, at the organization’s
GeneralConferenceheldinLimassol,
CyprusinlateOctober,thatTVbroad-
castingofair sportsandairsportsafety
weretwo main themes of discussion. Del-
egates watched the FAI programs on five
1999Championshipsanddiscussedfu-
turestrategiesformediapenetrationin
partnership with Transworld International.
Itwasagreed that further improvements
in air sport safety were an urgent priority,
to combat the common public perception
that air sportswere toorisky.
Following receipt of a very generous
donation from Princess Carla de Orleans-
Borboninmemoryofherlatehusband
(father of the former 1st Vice President of
FAI),theFAIGeneralConferencere-
solvedtoestablishaFund,theinterest
fromwhichwill be usedtoawardprizes
fortechnicaladvancesinairsports,in-
cluding simulated flying. It is hopedthat
the first awardwill be made in 2000.
TheFAIConferencegaveunanimous
supporttoaGreekproposaltoestablish
an “International Air Sport Academy” on
the island of Icaria, location of the legend-
aryflightofIcarus.Aswellasoffering
limitedfacilitiesforthepursuitofair
sports,theAcademywillhostmeetings
andsymposia onallaspectsofsporting
aviation.There arealsoplansfor acer-
emonialflame-lightingceremonyon the
island,inconnection withthe World Air
Games.
TheCo nferencegaveprovisional
acceptancetoapplicationstojoinFAI
fromAzerbaidjan,MaltaandMadagas-
car.
FAIPresidentEilifNess(Norway)
was re-elected for a sixth, andfinal, one-
year term of office.
In other news, the FAI has received a
Class A (Freeballoons) record claim from
Troy Bradley of the U.S. Bradley took off
in a Roziere balloon, AM-1 less than250
cubicmeters,fromOzark,Missourion
October20 andlandednear SpringHill,
TennesseeonOctober23.Bradley’s
claims are for distance of 569.71 kilome-
andduration of 27hours26 minutes
inthe AM-1toAM-6categories.
The National Aeronautique Associa-
tion announced that six persons have been
selectedtoreceivetheprestigiousElder
StatesmanofAviationawardfor1999.
Theyare MaxBleck, W.Barron Hilton,
Corwi n“Co rky ”Mey er,Marg aret
Ringenberg,PaulSanderson, andFrank
Smith.
TheElderStatesmanofAviation
Award wasestablishedin1954to honor
outstandingAmericanswho, bytheir ef-
fortsovera periodofyears,havemade
contributions of significant value to aero-
nauticsandhavereflectedcreditupon
America andthemselves.
BarronHilton was nominated by the
BalloonFederationofAmericaforhis
long association with aviation as a strong
financial and inspirational supporter. Mr.
Hilton has supported many valuable avia-
tion ventures including the Barron Hilton
Cup for soaring and round-the-world bal-
looningattempts.
Susan Genett’s Real Weather, a com-
pany specializing in custom global weather
forecasts, has been established to provide
forecastsforboatandballoonracesand
various commercial enterprises andven-
tures that canbe affectedby the weather.
Customforecastsareprovidedbe-
foreorduringaraceevent,permitting
participants or sponsors to avoid adverse
conditions or take advantage of favorable
ones if they know about them in advance.
BeforeestablishingRealWeather,
GenettwaschiefmeteorologistforBob
Rice’s Weather Window, a firm that spe-
cializedinprovidingforecastsforlong
distance boat and balloonraces.
FormoreinformationcontactReal
Weather,POBox1397,Newport,RI
028 40,pho ne40 1-841 -0 287 ,email:
realweather@earthlink.net.
On the afternoon ofJuly 22 the police
from the public about an escaped balloon,
and inline with an age oldtradition they
remaineddulyskeptical.However,the
envelopeof thetethered rideballoon based
atTowerBridgeinLondonreallyhad
brokenfreefromitsrestrainingnetin
gusty conditions while being inflated fol-
lowingsome maintenance work.
Five minutes after it beganitsflight
the balloonfell out of the clouds. “It was
descendingquitequicklynowandre-
sembled a partially closedumbrella with
a longtassel.Itlookedasithadturned
upside down, lost most of its gas, and the
heaviernetwashangingunderneath,“
according toChristine Bannan.
Theballoon,weighingabout3000
poundsandfallingathighspeed,dam-
ageda cabandlorryaswellasbreaking
some small trees. Ten feet oneway and no
damage.Tenfeettheotherwayandit
wouldhave fallenontothe railwaywith
potentiallydisastrous consequences.
Last reported breakaway balloonin
Englandwas1869.Thelastreportofa
break awayballooninthe US was 1901,
seeBalloon Life, October 1998,Adrift in
a Runaway Balloon.EditedfromAero-
stat, Journal of British Balloon & Airship
Club
the News
Andy ElsonandColinPrescott may
not have wonthe race tobe first around-
the-world by balloon, but now the duo is
aimingtotakeamassivehelium-filled
polytheneballoontotheveryedgeof
space.ColintoldAerostatthathisteam
plans a flight to 132,000 feet. SeeBalloon
Life’s Special Report,Race to Space,Sep-
tember 1997.
AerostatalsoreportsthatRichard
BransonandSteveFossetthavejoined
forcesagain.Thistimetotakeonthe
Atlanticinasailboat.Themillionaire
adventures who teamed last winter on the
ICOGlobal Challenger balloon will join a
ten-man crewaboard Fossett’sPlayStation
catamaran to try and break the crossing by
sail record of six days and thirteen hours.
