How Geneva became the organizer of the 53th Coupe Aéronautique Gordon Bennett
From 1907 till 2007 the Coupe had always been organized by the country that had won the last edition of the race. Due to logistical and meteorological reasons the race couldn’t start in Belgium in 2007. The Fédération Aéronautique Internationale, seated in Lausanne (CH), then decided to modify the rules. The Gordon Bennett race 2008 would take place in Albuquerque, and the winner of the race had to organize the race in 2010.
But how about the 2009 edition? Interested nations could send in their applications. The candidates were Switzerland (Geneva), Germany (Stuttgart), Great Britain (London), the United States (Albuquerque) and Luxemburg (but they withdrew their application). And the winner was … Switzerland.
So this year Geneva will host the famous Coupe Gordon Bennett and will welcome the best gas ballooning pilots in the world from 4 till 6 September at the Sports Center of Vessy. It will be the fourth Gordon Bennett for Switserland (1909 Zurich, 1922 and 1985 Geneva).
It is quite spectacular and even moving to see the gas balloons float away accompanied by their national hymns and it will certainly attract many people from all over Europe.
To celebrate its 100th anniversary the Aéro Club of Geneva will get up many other animations to accompany the start of the Coupe Gordon Bennett. All of this is possible thanks to the support of the Geneva Bureau of Tourism, the state, the town of Geneva, Skyguide, the Geneva International Airport and the Groupe Aérostatique de Geneva … but the organization still needs more sponsors to finance this marvelous project.
Without any doubt we are on the treshold of a beautiful new adventure !!!
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