Women in Ballooning

Great to see smiling this morning in Coupe Aéronautique Gordon Bennett
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Wow, well done Deborah Scholes and Tom Hilditch in - great steering through the gap and into 4th place this morning 👏
Coupe Aéronautique Gordon Bennett

Labas rytas Lietuva!… Good morning Lithuania! 🇱🇹

Sunrise from the basket…Deborah and Tom have now navigated their way across Poland and through the Suwałki Gap into Lithuanian airspace. Meanwhile on the ground, the retrieve crew have made significant progress on the Polish motorways and have also now arrived in Lithuania. The adventure continues…

Coupe Aéronautique Gordon Bennett
https://live.gordonbennett.aero

It's the best time of year for armchair gas balloonists to enjoy the thrill of the race from home!

The launch window for the Coupe Aéronautique Gordon Bennett will hopefully open tonight if the weather is kind.
Live tracker here for all the action: https://live.gordonbennett.aero/

Good luck and safe flights to all the teams, but we are of course especially rooting for -1 and -2, each with one of our girls in the team 🍀🇬🇧🍀

Deborah Scholes

Coupe Aéronautique Gordon Bennett - Race Portal

Event open to all - this weekend - to celebrate 50 years of the British Nationals championship. Just complete the form if interested in going along ...

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50th Anniversary of British Nationals Event This is the entry form to sign up to attend the event celebrating the 50th anniversary of the British Nationals. It will be held at Moor Park School, Ludlow, on 28-30th August. The entry fee to sign up as a balloon team is £50 (and will include four food tickets for the Saturday evening, and we hop...

World Record attempt officially recognised by Guinness World Records 🏅 Nothing will keep Jo Bailey down, even major surgery. Congratulations! 🥳

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/19BzgD1y93/

She’s officially a WORLD RECORD HOLDER! 🏆

The incredible Jo Bailey has had her world record attempt verified by Guinness World Records and is now the world record holder for most ascents in a tethered hopper balloon within one hour. On the Friday of the Fiesta she recorded an amazing 68 ascents within the one hour time limit, securing her place in the record books.

Her feat was about so much more than a record challenge; it was a way to show others you can keep pushing yourself to new limits in the face of adversity after Jo survived three life-saving surgeries last year and now lives with a stoma.

Her challenge also saw her fundraise for the two charities that supported her last year Crohn's & Colitis UK and Bristol NHS Foundation Trust Southmead Hospital NHS ICU, via Bristol & Weston Hospitals Charity. Her Just giving page is still open for donations. https://www.justgiving.com/team/thepalomadiaries?utm_medium=TE&utm_source=CL

Congratulations to another new female pilot, Wendy Huntriss. Welcome to the skies 🤩

https://www.facebook.com/share/1LSpqXRmdc/

Huge congrats to Jessica Miles on passing her flight test and solo! Whoop whoop! The second female pilot from Team Miles and well done mum Joanne Miles for passing on the skills 🥳

https://www.facebook.com/share/1Dr8VU6T6j/

Two teams for in this year's Coupe Aéronautique Gordon Bennett race, and a girl in each 👌
We'll be watching and cheering from our armchairs!
Go and Deborah Scholes

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All teams at a glance 🌍

The lineup for the Coupe Aéronautique Gordon Bennett 2026 is complete.
Teams from different countries are coming together in Gladbeck, each bringing their own experience, strategies and approach to long distance gas ballooning.
Some are aiming for consistent performance, others are known for bold decisions and risk taking.

Together, they form a field that promises a diverse and highly competitive race.
Now it is time to take a closer look.

Who are you keeping an eye on this year? 👀