Current:Home > FinanceFrench ballooning team goes the distance to finish ahead in prestigious long-distance race-InfoLens
French ballooning team goes the distance to finish ahead in prestigious long-distance race
View Date:2024-12-23 14:36:30
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — Spending more than three and a half days aloft and traveling more than 1,653 miles (2,660 kilometers), a French ballooning team has traveled the farthest in the world’s oldest and most prestigious air race.
Pilots Eric Decellières and Benoît Havret landed just shy of the North Carolina coast Wednesday after having launched from an annual balloon fiesta in Albuquerque on Saturday night along with 15 other teams representing nine countries.
Organizers of the Gordon Bennett Cup said Decellières and Havret surpassed a German team by about 46 miles (74 kilometers) to take the lead. The unofficial results will have to be confirmed by a jury of ballooning experts.
The balloonists spend days in the air, carrying everything they need to survive at high altitudes as they search for the right combination of wind currents to push their baskets as far as they can go.
Their hydrogen-filled balloons fly throughout the night and into the next day, with pilots trading off so one can get some sleep while the other keeps an eye on weather conditions. Each team communicates regularly with race officials, their ground crews and meteorologists as they gauge the prospects for pushing ahead.
Two pilots from Poland continued to recover Wednesday in Texas, where their balloon caught fire and crashed after hitting a high-voltage power line while competing.
The race has been held in the United States only 13 times before, and this marked the fifth time the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta played host.
The teams are due back in Albuquerque on Saturday for an awards ceremony.
The race has roots that stretch back to 1906 when adventurer and newspaper tycoon James Gordon Bennett Jr. brought together 16 balloons for a competition that launched from Paris, France.
veryGood! (74878)
Related
- Chris Martin and Gwyneth Paltrow's Son Moses Martin Reveals His Singing Talents at Concert
- David Oyelowo talks MLK, Role Play, and how to impress an old crush
- Here's how much Walmart store managers will earn this year
- Documents say Fulton County DA Fani Willis was booked on flights bought by prosecutor with whom she's accused of having affair
- Burger King's 'Million Dollar Whopper' finalists: How to try and vote on your favorite
- Loewe explores social media and masculinity in Paris fashion show
- Las Vegas Raiders hire Antonio Pierce as head coach following interim gig
- Real Housewives of New Jersey Star Melissa Gorga Shares Cozy Essentials To Warm Up Your Winter
- Georgia lawmaker proposes new gun safety policies after school shooting
- Inter Miami vs. El Salvador highlights: Lionel Messi plays a half in preseason debut
Ranking
- Man waives jury trial in killing of Georgia nursing student
- Women and children are main victims of Gaza war, with 16,000 killed, UN says
- As Houthi attacks on ships escalate, experts look to COVID supply chain lessons
- The enduring appeal of the 'Sex and the City' tutu
- World leaders aim to shape Earth's future at COP29 climate change summit
- State-backed Russian hackers accessed senior Microsoft leaders' emails, company says
- Kanye West debuts metal teeth: 'Experimental dentistry' didn't involve removing his real teeth
- Prince Harry drops libel lawsuit against Daily Mail publisher
Recommendation
-
Missing Ole Miss student declared legally dead as trial for man accused in his death looms
-
Congo’s President Felix Tshisekedi is sworn into office following his disputed reelection
-
Why is Ravens TE Mark Andrews out vs. Texans? Latest on three-time Pro Bowler's injury status
-
Western New Mexico University president defends spending as regents encourage more work abroad
-
Jessica Simpson's Husband Eric Johnson Steps Out Ringless Amid Split Speculation
-
Western New Mexico University president defends spending as regents encourage more work abroad
-
Loewe explores social media and masculinity in Paris fashion show
-
Why Jacob Elordi Is Worried About Returning for Euphoria Season 3