Benoît Pelard and the Coupe Aéronautique Gordon Bennett

The Coupe Aéronautique Gordon Bennett is the most prestigious and oldest aeronautical competition involving the best gas balloon pilots of the world. This international sports event is organized each year in and by the country which won the trophy two years before. Until 2008, the winner organized the following year edition, but regarding the task, the regulation has been modified. 

This legendary race was held for the first time on September 30th, 1906, at the Tuileries in Paris - France. It has inherited its name from its founder James Gordon Bennett Jr., American press tycoon, patron of motor and air sports. In spite of the difficulties of this competition, the principle of the race is very simple: to cover the highest distance in the air, without being limited by the time. Pilots have to be self-restraint and tough to be able to hold the race, which can last until 90 hours!

Benoît Pelard,"The Man with the Beret", runs the hotel “L’Eclipse”, in Heillecourt, near the launch site of the 57th Coupe Aeronautique Gordon Bennett – on the Grand Nancy-Tomblaine Aeropole and is a competing balloon pilot.  He fell in love with gas balloons, so much so that he reproduced the flight of the famous aviator from Nancy, Marie Marvingt, who flew from France to England with her gas balloon. He has already taken part in the “Coupe Gordon Bennett” as a competitor (2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012).