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Welcome to Fly Gas, International gas ballooning team, competing in the most prestigious annual events in gas ballooning, the Coupe Aéronautique Gordon Bennett and the America’s Challenge.
This will be Fly Gas Pilots, Cheri Edwards White’s 5th and Mark Sullivan’s 16th Coupe Aéronautique Gordon Bennett. They are very excited to be taking part with the eighteen world teams expected to fly from Nancy, France at the end of August.
This year, Fly Gas is defending an America’s Challenge victory, won in 2012, landing near Beulaville, North Carolina after about 64 hours aloft. Their flight of about 1,627 miles (2,618 km) is the fourth longest in the 17-year history of the America’s Challenge and a personal best distance for both members of the team. This is Cheri’s 9th and Mark’s 17th America’s Challenge.
Please enjoy learning about two of the most well known, accomplished balloon pilots in the world and follow FLY GAS on their upcoming races.
Fly Gas Pilots, Cheri Edwards White and Mark Sullivan are ambassadors to the sport of ballooning. Competing in the most prestigious annual events in gas ballooning, the Coupe Aéronautique Gordon Bennett and the America’s Challenge. Cheri and Mark’s dedication to the sport goes beyond the call of duty, representing North America’s most successful balloon cooperative and co-ordinator of our most coveted balloon events around the world.
Fly Gas Ballooning season starts at the 57th Coupe Aéronautique Gordon Bennett hosted in Nancy, France commencing on the 23rd August, 2013. Followed by the 18th America’s Challenge hosted in Albuquerque, New Mexico during the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta commencing on the 5th October, 2013. Defending their America’s Challenge victory from 2012, landing near Beulaville, North Carolina after about 64 hours aloft. Their flight of about 1,627 miles (2,618 km) is the fourth longest in the 17-year history of the America’s Challenge and a personal best distance for both members of the team.
International Gas Balloon Team
Fly Gas SALUTE!
FLY GAS SALUTE!
Fly Gas runs on its crew. We our very thankful for our talented and well sea-soned gas balloon crewmembers. Our U.S. crew members: Harris Goodwin, Letitia Hill, Danny McCoy, Rob Mullis, David Saady, Pam Smithey, and Brad Winters. Our European crew members: Brigitt, David, and Hanspeter Schwarz.
Fly Gas Crew Fly Gas in the Press
Fly Gas in the press. Cheri and Mark enjoy sharing their gas ballooning experiences. With the aid of technology our pilots are able to be interviewed while in flight and our crew members while on the chase!
We broadcast a daily breifing “VIEW FROM ABOVE” on our FLY GAS TV Channel during our events. Please check in and send us your questions.
Please connect with FLY GAS if you have any questions for our pilots or crew members. Whether in flight or on the chase we welcome your questions, thoughts and encorragement. Join the Fly Gas journey!
Fly Gas Pilots
Competitor and event organizer in both hot air and gas ballooning. Earned his commercial hot air balloon license in 1983 and gas rating in 1985 and currently has 2765 hours. Won the U.S. National Gas Bal-loon Championships in 1995 and that same year founded the Amer-ica’s Challenge Gas Balloon Race held each year the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta. Mark won the North American Hot Air Championship in 1992. In 1997, the FAI awarded Mark his first Mont-golfier for his service to the sport and balloon event organization. In 2004, he was awarded a second Montgolfier for best performance in gas balloons with podium finishes in the World Gas Balloon Cham-pionships and Gordon Bennett races He has competed in the Coupe Gordon Bennett gas balloon race 16 times and the World Gas Balloon Championship 5 times, best finish in both events 2nd. Mark is the U.S. delegate to the FAI Ballooning Commission. Flying with Cheri White has won the America’s Challenge Gas Balloon in 2008 & 2012.
Started flying in 1974 at the age of 13 and is a commercial balloon pilot with 1950 hours. The past fourteen years she has been the pilot and manager for Touchstone Energy Cooperatives Balloon Program, one of the most successful commercial balloon programs in the U.S. In 1993, she was the U.S. National Hot Air Balloon Champion rookie of the year. In 1995, she won the Women’s North American Champion-ship. She has won the U.S. National Women’s Hot Air Balloon Cham-pionship and the U.S. National Hot Air Team Championship. Flying as Mark’s co-pilot, finishing 3rd in the 2002 America’s Challenge with a flight of 2109 km in 67:25 hours. In 2008, won the America’s Chal-lenge with a flight of 1420 km in 68:35 hours. In 2012 they won the Challenge with a flight of 2623 Km in 62.15 hours. Placed 3rd in the 53rd Gordon Bennett from Geneva, Switzerland to Travira, Portugal, with a distance of 1528 km, duration 71:20. She was awarded the Montgolfier for best performance in gas balloons in 2009.
Mark Sullivan Cheri Edwards White
Our meteorologist is Randy Lefevre. We are very grateful to our stra-tigist that work with us during the course of our flights.
For more information regarding our crew please visit our Team web page.
This international gas balloon competition was initiated in 1906 by the adventurer and newspaper magnate James Gordon Bennett. In that year 16 balloons started from the gardens of the former Tuileries Palace in Paris. None of those present to see the event could possibly have imagined that the race would continue to be staged right into the 21st century.
The 57th race will take place in 2013, 107 years after that first race. The rules remain almost un-changed. The winner will be the team that flies the longest distance in a straight line between the start and the landing point. The actual distance flown and the time taken are of no significance. The com-peting balloons are allowed a maximum volume of 1050 cubic meters (about 37’080 cubic feet).
The pilot and co-pilot must be the same nationality and their country must also be a member of the FAI (Fédération Aéronautique Internationale). Each country may enter a maximum of 3 teams. The winning country has the right to stage the next-but-one race, normally 2 years later.
The 57th Coupe Aéronautique Gordon Bennett 2013, hosted in Nancy, France in honor of Team FRANCE 1, Sebastien Rolland and Vincent Leys who won the Gold Medal during 55th Coupe Aeronautique Gordon Ben-nett 2011. Fly Gas Team USA-1, Cheri Edwards White and Mark Sullivan will be flying N-707GH Delta Goodie in this years event. Delta Goodie’s sixth Gordon Bennett. There are eighteen teams expected at this years event.
Coupe Aéronautique Gordon Bennett is the most famous aviation event in the world and is the ultimate challenge for balloon pilots, there crew, and equipment. The objectives of the race are simple: to fly the furthest distance from the start in the gondola of a gas balloon.
Cheri’s 5th and Mark’s 17th Gordon Bennett
57th Coupe Aéronautique Gordon Bennett
Join us for live tracking.
18th America’s Challenge
Fly Gas celebrating an America’s Challenge victory in 2012, landing near Beulaville, North Carolina after about 64 hours aloft. Their flight of about 1,627 miles (2,618 km) is the fourth longest in the 17-year history of the America’s Challenge and a personal best distance for both members of the team. It is their second America’s Challenge win; they won also in 2008.
The America’s Challenge Gas Balloon Race was founded by the Balloon Fiesta in 1995 due to the vision and efforts of Mark Sullivan, former Balloon Fiesta President and recipient of the Montgolfier Diplome (one of ballooning’s highest honors), who saw the need for America to be identified with the world’s most prestigious ballooning sport.
The America’s Challenge Gas Balloon Race is modeled after the Coupe Aeronautique Gordon Bennett, but it differs from the older event in allowing balloons from all countries, without limits on the number of entries from each. The team that travels the longest distance wins.
Once again, the America’s Challene will be hosted during the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta to commence on 5th October, 2013.
This is Fly Gas Pilots Cheri Edwards White 9th and Mark Sullivan’s 17th America’s Challenge.
Fly Gas Team USA-1, Cheri Edwards White and Mark Sullivan will be flying N-707GH Delta Goodie in this years event. Delta Goodie’s eighth America’s Challenge.
There are a total of five world gas bal-looning teams expeted to attend this years event. Pervious years hosted the very first Espana and Russian world gas ballooning teams.
Join us for live tracking.
FLY GAS defending Champs!
Fly GasInternational Gas Ballooning Team
P.O. Box 7186, Albuquerque, New Mexico, 87194 U.S.A.Tel:(505) 270-6759 Fax: (505) 503-8430
