Competition Committee
| ChairPerson: Bob Mueller Liaison: Keith Standley, Jr. |
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| About Competition For those balloonists that enjoy this activity, competition involves flying in different types of events throughout the season, which is November 16th through November 15th of the following year. Points are awarded for each event/task completed. At the end of the year, those with the greatest number of points are recognized by the club. Competition flying provides pilots with an opportunity to increase their flying skills through various types of events/tasks. |
| Competition Notification Any GEBA member who wants to let others know about a competition they are organizing can make use of the GEBA Competiton email list. This list is maintained by the Competition Committee. Just email your annoucment to the Chairperson and it will be forwarded to everyone on the list. Decisions to fly are very weather dependant and can be a last mintue thing. Please try and give as much advance notice as possible. Any GEBA member can elect to be on or off the list by notifing the Committee. |
| Typical Types of Competitions |
| Hare & Hound This is one of the most popular events. It consists of a lead balloon (hare) launching 15-20 minutes ahead of the competitors (hounds). The hare balloon will fly for about 30-40 minutes, then select a landing site and put a very large "X" on the ground near the balloon. The "hounds" follow the "hare" and attempt to drop their (numbered) bean bag in the center of the "X". The one coming closest to the center is declared the winner. Very often the winning drop is less than one inch off the exact center, with the pilot flying a few feet above the surface. |
| Long Jump This event is sponsored by the Balloon Federation of America (BFA), and provides an opportunity for pilots to test their skill in distance flying. This event is typically done during the winter flying season. The objective is to fly as far as safely possible on a limited amount of fuel. |
| Controlled Navigation Task This involves pre-placing a target at a selected location. The balloons are then required to launch anywhere beyond a certain radius, usually 3-5 miles. The objective is to reach the target. This is difficult, due to the shifting nature of winds. A slight breeze and/or miscalculation can push a balloon far away from the target. The target is often a vertical pole, 30-50 feet tall, with an envelope on top that contains a prize. Thus, precise navigation as well as luck is necessary to win. |
Past Winners and Standings of Competition
Year Winner Year Winner 1996 John Coulahan 2007 Uli Krahenbuhl 1997 Jim Duncan 2008 Tim Strand 1998 Jim Duncan 2009 Uli Krahenbuhl 1999 Jack Edling 2000 Jim Duncan 2001 Jim Duncan 2002 Jack Edling 2003 George Blair 2004 Uli Krahenbuhl 2005 Jon Radowski 2006 Ken Leota