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World Air Games Turin 2009 - The disciplines: hot air and gas balloons (aerostatics)
History
Even though the history of humanity has, since ancient times, included mythological stories and tales of dreamers who tried to fly like birds, it is generally recognised that air navigation made its start in 1783 through the efforts of the Mongolfier Brothers and that the aerostatic balloon was the first aeronautical discipline (hot air and gas balloons).
The aerostatic competitions
The aerostatic competitions concern gas balloons and hot air balloons and will be hosted at two different locations:
 gas balloons (aerostatics) in Turin
hot air balloons at Mondovì, 80 km south of Turin.
 Inflation of the 10 gas balloons and take-off will take place at Turin’s Aeritalia field.
During the inflation procedures and take-off, lots of events will be set up for spectators.
There will be a Notte bianca (“Sleepless night” or all-night entertainment) with concerts, laser projections, mega screens, fireworks all night, until the last balloon leaves.
It will be possible to follow pre-recorded hot air balloon contests on the mega-screens..
Once the hot air balloon contests are in progress at Mondovì, tethered balloon flights will be organised including on those spectacular balloons in special shapes, at the Aeritalia airfield and in city parks.
The gas balloon competitions will be broadcast live on TV and, as for the other air sports, will be rendered more interesting for the lay public through real image presentations integrated with explanatory diagrams, similar to those adopted for sailing’s America’s Cup.
Several famous pilots are expected to attend, such as Bertrand Piccard, Brian Jones and David Hempleman Adams. It is worth recalling that famous record-breakers such as Steve Fossett and David Hempleman Adams, in fact, earned their ballooning wings at Mondovì.
Due to the dimensions of the take-off areas at Mondovì, and in line with the selective logic of the World Air Games, only 30 hot air balloons will be able to compete at Mondovi. The airspace in the Mondovi area (R 64) is outside all controlled airspace.
For the event, the limit of 3.500 feet will be raised to FL100 (10,000 feet) thanks to agreements concluded with the relevant Aeronautical Authorities.
 Why hold the hot air balloon competitions at Mondovì?
First of all, it is not possible to hold hot air balloon competitions in Turin because the Aeritalia airfield is in the middle of a densely populated, built-up area. There is nowhere to land and there are critical ATC problems (air traffic control) due to the proximity of Torino Caselle airport.
Secondly, Mondovì is the only town in Piedmont (or in Italy) that can boast a long and enduring tradition of balloon flying.
Every day in Mondovì and the surrounding area – the southern part of the province of Cuneo – flights are organised for schools, tourists or competitions, as in no other location in Italy.
Orographic and territorial conditions of our flight area
The flight area in the province of Cuneo is surrounded by mountains to the south and west, by a vast area of flat countryside to the north and many hills to the west.
It appears like a great downwind amphitheatre facing the highest mountains in Europe, thus protected from strong winds from the north west.
 This geographical configuration, without equal anywhere in the world, allows an incredible manoeuverability, such that it is often possible, after an interesting flight, to return to the take-off field.
In many cases, in fact, it is enough to climb 200 or 300 feet to change track appreciably.
The sheltering mountains slow down the winds and the average speed is around 5/6 km, thus permitting easy flights with plenty of landing places along the way and approaching home.
Landing possibilities are numerous all year round, and, thanks to the many country lanes, there is no need to bring vehicles onto the fields to recover a balloon.
Most of the fields are open and unfenced, and their animals protected in stables or fenced areas.
The locals are mainly very friendly and hospitable. In many years of flying in the area, there have never been any problems of cohabitation or restrictions with prohibited areas.
The whole competition area is visible from the gardens of the Belvedere, in the old city, perched on the crown of the hill.
 The meteorological conditions
The southern zone of the province of Cuneo, located downwind of the Alps, has its own special microclimate, totally different from the rest of Piedmont and indeed, Italy.
Statistically, this zone enjoys around 300 days of fine weather per annum and, in winter, there is no fog, unlike elsewhere in Piedmont.
Each valley, during the night and in the early hours of the morning, has its own catabatic wind which mixes with that falling from the other valleys.
The result is many layers and currents with differing directions and speeds that make for outstanding flying.
During the day, winds from the northern quadrant prevail but, climbing, it is always possible to change track, often by several degrees.
Know-how for the sport and the competitions
The founders of the Aeroclub Mongolfiere di Mondovì have been organising international events since 1980, at Mondovì and in different parts of Italy.
The most important event is the International Epiphany Balloon Meeting, which, in January 2008, reached its 20th edition, with 40 teams entered, most of them foreign.
During this meeting, contests are always organised using the AXMER rules and the De Brujin scoring software.
In 1981, the founders and the other pilots from the Aeroclub of Mondovì took part in the world and European hot air ballooning championships and from 1976, in the world gas balloon championships.
Club members have taken part in more FAI category 1 events than the rest of Italy’s pilots all together.
Member Paolo Bonanno participated in the World Air Games in Seville with his hot air balloon, while John Aimo and Enzo Cisaro took part with gas balloons.
Luciano Lanzoni competed in the first ever WAG in Turkey.
Pilots from the Mondovi Hot Air Balloon Club have won 13 Italian championships out of 20, Aimo and Bonanno, 6 times each and Lanzoni once.
The equipment
Given the long experience in the competition sector, the Aeroclub of Mondovì already has everything necessary for the balloon contests, such as markers, targets, loggers, gps, maps etc.
If necessary, it will be possible to park the competitors’ machines in the Aeroclub’s “AerostaticPort”, which is unique in Italy.
The Support Team
No far from the launch field at Mondovì is the Bonanno Balloon Service workshop, owned by Paolo Bonanno and known all over the world for its burners, valves and quick release systems designed by Paolo, and other products. Bonanno can speedily repair any type of envelope with his special sewing machines, any burnerand fuel supply system, because he is probably the world’s best engineer in the field. Bonanno has also designed and constructed the burners for Atlantic crossings, for Piccard and Fossett’s round-the-world flights and for the world altitude record (21.000 meters) set by Indian millionaire, Singhania Vijapat.
In Bonanno’s workshop, they can also use nitrogen to clean out the gas bottles that pilots have to transport by air or on ferry boats.
The Aeroclub Mongolfiere di Mondovì
The Aeroclub Mongolfiere di Mondovì was founded in 2005 by members of the local Italian Aerostatic Club, immediately after the Aeroclub of Italy’s new statutes came into force, allowing the creation of an aeroclub exclusively for balloon flying.
The Mondovì club is the only one in Italy for gas balloon flying and, at the end of 2007, counted 99 members, of whom 46 pilots and 12 student pilots. The members of our club clock up more flying hours and participation in rallies and competitions than all other Italian pilots put together.
The president, Giovanni Aimo, and the counsellors of the management committee are pilots with years of flying experience and have frequently participated at meetings and competitions world-wide.
The first four Italian pilots in the world Ranking List are Aeroclub Mondovì members.
The 15th April 2007, the Aeroclub of Mondovì inaugurated the Porto Aerostatico, at corso Francia 18, realised with financial aid from the Piedmont Region on the site where the Mondovi’s old, Second World War era airport arose. It is the only edifice of its type in Italy, with a Briefing hall seating 100, a bar-restaurant, reception area and a hangar measuring 12m. by 12m.
Test Event 2008
Mondovì will host the Italian Aerostatic Championships from 8th to 13th July.
| Even though the history of humanity has, since ancient times, included mythological stories and tales of dreamers who tried to fly like birds, it is generally recognised that air navigation made its start in 1783 through the efforts of the Mongolfier Brothers and that the aerostatic balloon was the first aeronautical discipline (hot air and gas balloons). |
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