AEROMEDIA
The Italian Aerospace Information Web
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XXV Italian Balloon Championship 2012

The 19th to 23rd of September 2012 saw the town of Mondovì, near Cuneo, as the focal point for the 25th Italian Balloon Championships, organized by the “Aero Club Mongolfiere di Mondovì”, and directed by Andrew Holly, an expert British pilot.
The 11 pilots who took part in the competition (see list) represented the cream of the Italian ballooning sector, both in experience and determination to win. Many of them were veterans of the 24 previous editions of the National Championships.
Under extremely favourable weather conditions, six races took place between September 20-22, for a total of 25 “tasks”, confirming the high technical standard of the 2012 Championships. Sunday 23rd had been scheduled as the reserve day, but as things turned out, was unnecessary.
Mirko Marangoni, flying a Cameron O-84, was the convincing winner of the “XXV Campionato Italiano Mongolfiere” 2012, winning five tasks (1000 points each) and finishing the other races well up the list. The local champion, Giovanni “John” Aimo, piloting a small Cameron Z-77, came second after also winning five tasks, but with fewer positions in the upper part of the scoreboard. Third place went to Igor Charbonnier of Aosta, flying a Thunder-Colt AX7-77, winning two tasks and scoring very well in others. It is worth mentioning that the same three pilots also took the first three places in the 2011 Championship, although not in the same order.
As the Winner of the 2012 Championship, Mirko Marangoni was also awarded the first “Lorena Morlini Memorial Trophy”, dedicated to one of the most enthusiastic Italian lady balloonist, who unfortunately passed away in January, 2012.
Your Aeromedia reporter watched the gripping phases of Task 23 (sixth race) - a Fly-in with its target near the sports ground of Sant’Anna Avagnina, a village to the North-West of Mondovì. In the mild afternoon conditions of Saturday 22nd - and under the watchful gaze of a large crescent moon - the participating balloons enacted a spectacular ballet trying to find the best wind towards the target area. With the usual ultralight aircraft in observance, Marangoni and Aimo were able to launch their markers in rapid succession close to the big white cross on the ground.















In the picture: Cameron O-84 I-FROK of Mirko Marangoni, the winner of the XXV Italian Balloon Championship, Mondovì, Italy (2012). (Aeromedia)

(Aeromedia, September 2012)