The first flight took place in the afternoon of 28th with JDG and HWZ at the 2011 LUXGSM - World Balloon Trophy. The ANG was also expected to be flown but it was cancelled as the pilots had to wait a long time for the unstable atmosphere to disappear from the flight area. The results for these tasks are already on the results web page.

This morning 29 July, the sky was covered with fog and mist. However, 5 tasks (FIN, PDG, LRN, FON and ANG) could be flown - some of them will be scored to the physical markers and some others will be scored with flight trucks. Launch period was extended till 9 AM. All the tasks could be flown in any order and all the tasks had to be finished by 10:30.

At the target, the sound of the burners could be heard but it was impossible to see the balloons themselves because of the mist! Very slowly many pilots arrived at the target. Stefan Zeberli, last year's Champion, was very patient at the target to approach. It seemed that he passed away but he read the wind to go back and to come back to the target, and his result was 0.36 meters!

Around the landing time the fog and mist were gone and the pilots landed safely.

No less than 40 disabled pilots gathered from 17 to 24 July at the Aérodrome de la Gruyère on the occasion of the 4th International Meeting of Disabled Pilots, also called Handiflight, a project which was awarded the “FAI Honorary Group Diploma” in 2010, and which was initiated by Sarah and Daniel Ramseier back in 2007.

Coming from all around the world (New Zealand, Australia, South Africa, Canada, USA, Sweden, Scotland, England, Belgium, France, Germany Poland and Italy), the pilots shared their experiences and received instruction in glider and power flights.

Personalities such as Brian Jones, Honorary President of the event and co-pilot of Bertrand Piccard in the first non-stop balloon flight around the world, Yves "Jetman" Rossi, famous Swiss aviation pioneer, and Stéphane Desprez, FAI Secretary General, attended the event.

On Friday, a workshop was organised with the participation of Stéphane Desprez, FAI Secretary General, with the aim of discussing the internationalisation of the movement through Handiflight. The outcome of the meeting was very positive, as all participants from the the different international associations of disabled pilots are eager to share their passion, and would be favourable to a rapprochement with the FAI.

“I have met exceptional people here who all stand out by their strong will. Aviation is for them not only a passion but also an activity that has given them renewed hope, and I think that we have a lot to learn from them”, said Stéphane.

More pictures on the FAI Flickr account.