67th Coupe Aéronautique Gordon Bennett: Long distance gas ballooning World Champions

Austria-2 wins the 67th Coupe Aéronautique Gordon Bennett

after nail-biting finish

Münster, Germany, 17 September 2024 – In a breath-taking conclusion to the 67th Coupe

Aéronautique Gordon Bennett, Christian Wagner and Stefanie Liller of team Austria-2 emerged

victorious. The duo clinched the win after an exhilarating journey from Münster, Germany,

covering an impressive distance of 2111.16 km aboard their gas balloon before touching down

in Sagres, at the southwestern tip of Portugal.

The competition, which began on Saturday, September 14, saw 21 gas balloons take to the skies.

Wagner and Liller’s remarkable flight lasted 2 days, 20 hours, 34 minutes, and 40 seconds, culminating

in a very dramatic finish on Tuesday, September 17.

The race’s climax was particularly intense as three teams – Austria-2, Switzerland-1, and Germany-

3 – converged on the Portuguese coast from different angles. Austria-2 and Switzerland-1 even

approached from over the sea, putting their piloting skills to the ultimate test. All three leading teams

landed less than three kilometres from each other, showcasing the fierce competition.

Switzerland-1, piloted by Kurt Frieden and Pascal Witprächtiger, claimed second place with a

distance of 2109.88 km, despite being the first to land. Germany-3, with Andreas Zumrode and Axel

Hunnekuhl at the helm, secured third place, touching down last but covering 2108.47 km.

Fans worldwide experienced Wagner and Liller’s first Coupe Gordon Bennett victory in real-time through

livestream tracking and regular updates on the official Gordon Bennett TV YouTube channel.

After the launch the participating teams all headed south-west in a pack, travelling through Germany

and Luxembourg during the night. The teams flew through France during Sunday, with three teams

landing safely in France on Sunday 15 September, leaving 18 balloons to travel through a second night

towards the Pyrenees and Spanish border or further north over the Bay of Biscay. Twelve teams flew

through a third night.

The teams will return to Münster on 20 September for the Welcome Back party and attend the prize-

giving at the Awards Ceremony on 21 September.

About the Coupe Aéronautique Gordon Bennett

The Coupe Aéronautique Gordon Bennett, the FAI World Long Distance Gas Balloon Championship,

is the oldest and most prestigious event in aviation and the ultimate challenge for the pilots. It is a

story full of adventure, skill, courage, survival and luck. The goal is simple: to fly the furthest non-stop

distance from the launch site.

The international competition was initiated by adventurer and newspaper tycoon James Gordon

Bennett Jr. in 1906, when 16 balloons launched from the Tuileries Gardens in Paris, France. Little did

the crowd of 200,000 spectators know that this race was to continue throughout the 20th and 21st

centuries. The next edition of the race will take place in Metz, France on 5 September 2025.

The official results remain subject to final confirmation by the FAI jury.