- Title: High-flying Germans compete in hot-air balloon championships
- Date: 9th October 2021
- Summary: TEGERNSEE, GERMANY (OCTOBER 8, 2021) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF HOT-AIR BALLOONS STARTING VARIOUS OF HOT-AIR BALLOONS IN AIR PAN FROM PILOT TO OTHER BALLOONS IN AIR VARIOUS OF HOT-AIR BALLOONS IN AIR (SOUNDBITE) (German) ANDREAS BAUS, PRESIDENT OF GERMAN ASSOCIATION OF HOT-AIR BALLOONS, SAYING: "It's called a so-called Fly-in, meaning the organization team puts a cross on the meadow. And the balloonist of which there are 25, have to find their own place to start which is as close as possible to the goal-cross. And after the start each balloonist will have to find their ideal height in order to get as close to the cross as possible. And then they have little sand bags with them with a little fabric attached to it, which they then drop over the cross. And I believe that it will be centimetres only which decided the winner." VARIOUS OF BALLOONS FLYING OVER CROSS SAND BAG BEING DROPPED OVER CROSS BALLOONS OVER CROSS, CLOSE TO THE GROUND SAND BAGS AT CROSS VARIOUS OF BALLOONS NEAR CROSS (SOUNDBITE) (German) ANDREAS BAUS, PRESIDENT OF GERMAN ASSOCIATION OF HOT-AIR BALLOONS, SAYING: "There are some 1,300 balloons signed up so far. I guess there are about 2,500 balloon enthusiasts of which half is registered with us. And about 100 pilots are serious about the sporting side of this competition. And the 25 best take place in this competition who have qualified in competitions in the recent weeks and months. VARIOUS OF HOT-AIR BALLOONS IN AIR (SOUNDBITE) (German) ANDREAS BAUS, PRESIDENT OF GERMAN ASSOCIATION OF HOT-AIR BALLOONS, SAYING: "The (hot-air balloon) scene consists of several major groups, sort to say. There are the large, commercial enterprises, the pure sports balloonists, there are still some, I myself am one of them, who are passionate about ballooning. And there are the large associations like in Stuttgart or Kinzig, who see this as a team sport. But like in any other big sporting event like touring car championships, it is all about the pilot and the material." VARIOUS OF BALLOONS IN DESCENT WIDE BALLOONS IN AIR
- Embargoed: 23rd October 2021 10:12
- Keywords: German championships Tegernsee hot-air balloon
- Location: TEGERNSEE, GERMANY
- City: TEGERNSEE, GERMANY
- Country: Germany
- Topics: Europe
- Reuters ID: LVA001EYFRHI1
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: German hot air balloonists took to the skies over the town of Tegernsee for the country's championships 2021.
The best 25 balloon pilots in Germany compete in different tasks over five days.
Friday saw the so-called Fly-in.
The balloonists have to place a fabric attached to a sand bag as close as possible to a mark, in this case a cross. Each balloonist will have to find their ideal height in order to get as close to the cross as possible, says organiser and president of the German association of hot-air balloons, Andreas Baus. "And I believe that it will be centimetres only which decided the winner."
Baus said that beside the large, commercial enterprises, there are also the serious sports balloonists like himself who who are passionate about ballooning.
And as like in any other big sporting, it is all about the material and the skill of the pilot, serious money can be involved in the sport.
The competition lasts until Sunday.
(Production: Romania Fuessel, Marcus Angle, Claudia Dowries, Ute Swart) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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