AEROMEDIA
The Italian Aerospace Information Web
by Aeromedia - corso Giambone 46/18 - 10135 Torino (Italy)

International “Epiphany Balloon Meeting” 2012

The 24th International Balloon Meeting “City of Mondově” - also popularly known as the “Epiphany Meeting” – took place between January 6-8, 2012, in the Italian town of Mondově near Cuneo. This balloon meeting - one of the oldest in the Italian Air Sport calendar – was sponsored by the Municipal Administration and a local bank. The organization was in the capable hands of Paolo Oggioni, new President of the “Aero Club Mongolfiere di Mondově”.
Most of the 33 pilots who entered on the Meeting (see the list) were Italian, but a substantial number came from other countries including Croatia, France, Principality of Monaco, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. A number of balloons belonged to specialized Italian operators.
At the beginning of 2012, the following eight Italian enterprises held active air-work licences: Aeronord di Enzo Cisaro & C. SAS, Balloon Promotion SaS di Contegiacomo Pietro & C., Blue Albatros Srl, Charbonnier Nello & C. S.n.c, Comunicazione in Volo Srl, Milano Mongolfiere SaS di Trombetti Riccardo e C., Fly In Balloons Srl. and Slowfly Mongolfiere Snc di Oggioni Paolo Mario. These companies, according to new Italian rules, must operate balloons certified (and registered) in Italy.
Unfortunately, strong winds prevented the ascents planned for the first day. During the two following days, good weather allowed four flights (with a total of five tasks) to be completed. As usual, all the races started from Parco Europa, not far from the centre of Mondově.
The Saturday early-morning competition included two tasks: a “Judge-Declared Goal” (in which the target was the Balloonport, north of the town) and a “Watership Down”. In this type of race, the pilots must launch their marker as close as possible to a target-cross placed on the ground by a designated balloon. During this competition, many balloons were engaged in a spectacular low-altitude ballet over the farmland around the village of San Giovanni Govoni.
The afternoon race was another “Judge-Declared Goal”, with the target to the west of Mondově. This race was troubled by winds of variable speed and direction at all different altitudes. The balloons were scattered in all directions, and those which climbed to a higher level soon found themselves over the foothills of the Alps. Due to this peculiar situation, all the pilots were awarded the same average number of points.
The races held on Sunday 8 included a “Fox Hunt”, where the fox was the small Cameron V-77 piloted by Gianni Curti, and a final “Fly-in” back to the traditional take-off site (Parco Europa), where a number of pilots were able to put their “marker”.
David Hochreutner of Switzerland - with his 77,000 cu ft (2,200 mc) Ultramagic M-77C - was awarded the first prize for the 2012 “City of Mondově” Meeting. Second and third were two British pilots: Phil Cossack with a Cameron Z-105 and Andrew Holly with the sexiest balloon - his famous Lindstrand “derričre”, aptly carrying the registration marks “G-REAR”!
Three more honour-prizes were presented at the end of the Meeting. The “Bongiovanni Memorial” was awarded to “Boba” Bogliaccino of Italy while the “Davide Raschieri Memorial” went to Gavin Chadwick (UK), winner of the first race of the Meeting. As in previous years, Roderick Baker awarded his “Silver Radiator” to the most helpful recovery team. The history of this unusual trophy goes back a number of years to the time when the radiator of Roderick Baker’s Land Rover sprang a leak. With his car unuseable, a number of fellow pilots volunteered to help him recover his balloon from a remote spot, and the “Silver Radiator” prize was awarded to them as a thank-you. This year’s “Silver Radiator” was awarded to Sam Hossack’s team.
As was the case in 2010, a hot-air airship provided a spectacular backdrop to the take-off sequences during this year’s “City of Mondově” International Balloon Meeting. Balloon Promotion’s GEFA-Flug AS 105 GD, piloted by Pietro Contegiacomo, held this star role over Parco Europa. In 2010, Contegiacomo came third at the Hot-Air Airship World Championship, held in Dole, France.
The spectacular Night Glow, the “fire-up” of the tethered balloons late on the Saturday afternoon in Parco Europa, was, as ever, one of the things most highly appreciated by the children of Mondově.

(With grateful thanks to the Aeroclub Mongolfiere di Mondově and Mr. and Mrs. Scherer for their collaboration)

In the picture: Balloons and airships, for the second time, at the 24th International “Epiphany Balloon Meeting” 2012. (Aeromedia)

(Aeromedia, January 2012)