The Italian Aerospace Information Web
by Aeromedia - corso Giambone 46/18 - 10135 Torino (Italy)
Italian balloons grounded by an old law
The yearly balloon meeting in Mondovì, near Cuneo (Italy), planned for January 5, 2003, was suspended by the action of the Italian Finance Police. By force of a law to counter trade frauds, dating back to 1958, the gas bottle refuelling platform was impounded because, in this specific occasion, it was used without a regular authorization to transfer combustible gas from a large tank to a smaller one.
From now on, the literal and continuative application of this long forgotten law may literally kill the balloon activity in Italy. The Italian lighter-than-the-air movement promptly reacted, asking the rulers to update immediately this peculiar anti-fraud measure, conceived when ballons were still vey rare in the Italian skies. Representatives of the same movement acknoweledged that, in any case, also the balloon refuelling procedures need some improvements in the safety area.
In the picture: Lift off of a balloon during the 1992 edition of the Mondovì (Italy) meeting. (Aeromedia)
