Ballonbau Wörner GmbH

04/09/2026

We’ve just received the first balloon postcards from this year’s Gordon Bennett. 🥳🥳

A huge thank you to the teams. What wonderful postcards! We’re always delighted to receive them and have already found a lovely spot for them on our in-house ‘Wall of Fame’. 🤩🤩

Once again, congratulations to the winning teams, and we wish you a fitting closing ceremony and awards presentation tomorrow in Gladbeck.🥳🥳

31/08/2026

The race is over!! 🥳🤩😍🥰

It was incredibly exciting once again. 🤯🙂🙃

It’s fascinating how precisely a gas balloon can be navigated over long distances. A great many teams made it through a narrow passage about 35 km wide, which allowed them to continue their journey without having to land. By the time they reached the narrow passage, they had already covered about 1,100 km from Gladbeck. What a feat of precision.

Victory, however, went to a different strategy. The Swiss team SUI-2, led by Balthasar Wicki and René Erni 🥇, opted for the northern route, which was very challenging since the weather conditions actually made such a route seem impossible. Nevertheless, after a tough battle, the team was able to land in Finland, thereby covering the longest distance from the starting point.
The remaining spots were fiercely contested. The teams truly made the most of the very last few meters before the end of the competition area. Team AUT-2, led by Christian Wagner and Stefanie Liller 🥈, fought their way to second place, and Team FRA-1, led by Christophe Houver and Guillaume Jouaville 🥉, secured third place.

What an exciting race.

We congratulate the winner and the two teams on the podium, as well as all the other teams for their exceptional athletic performances and safe landings.

🥇🥈🥉🏅🎈

Note: The results are not yet official and are still being reviewed by the competition organizers.

30/08/2026

Good morning, to all teams and everybody around the world following the race.

Some teams have made it into the very narrow corridor between the competition boundaries. It's still very exciting. Stay tuned.

🤩🤩🤩

29/08/2026

Gordon Bennett 2026 FAI Long-Distance World Championship

What a thrill before the start, what a thrill during the start, and what a thrill during the race.

The weather conditions are very challenging, yet all the teams that took off have safely ascended into the sky.

The first teams have already landed.

The remaining teams are still battling it out for their final rankings.
One team has chosen a different strategy than the main field. It will be very exciting to see which strategy pays off in the end.

It remains very exciting. We wish all teams continued success and a safe landing.

Don’t miss the event—follow it on the official competition website:
https://live.gordonbennett.aero/

26/08/2026

It’s getting more and more exciting. Teams from all over the world are already on their way to Gladbeck. Tomorrow, the official briefing will take place, during which the latest information on the event schedule will be announced. 🤩🥳

Don’t miss the oldest and toughest balloon race in the world. 💪🙂🤘

Everyone is warmly invited to the event. Admission is free, and no tickets need to be purchased in advance. You’re also welcome to follow along online. Stay tuned—we’ll keep you updated.

We wish all teams a successful and safe World Championship. We’re looking forward to many new athletic achievements.

see you in Gladbeck.

Our official event poster for the 69th Coupe Aéronautique Gordon Bennett is here! 🎈

Feel free to share it, put it in your WhatsApp status, or pass it on to anyone who might want to join us on 28 August in Gladbeck. Whether you're a balloon enthusiast or have never seen a gas balloon launch before:everyone is welcome at the launch site.

Help us spread the word and bring even more people to Ellinghorster Straße to experience the start live. The more, the merrier!

📍 Ballonstartplatz, Ellinghorster Str. 135, Gladbeck
🗓️ 28 August 2026 (weather-dependent)
🌐 www.gordonbennett2026.de — free entry

21/08/2026

7 days to go!!! 🤩🤩🤩🥳🥳🥳

It’s getting more and more exciting. And we’re already looking forward to the event.

Don’t miss it—stay tuned.

The best way to experience the air sports event of the year is to attend in person in Gladbeck. If you can’t make it, you can watch the event and the race online.
We’ll keep you updated.😉

Event week ahead 📅

After months of preparation, the focus now shifts to ex*****on.
The coming days will bring everything together. From the Opening Ceremony to the start of the race, the launch field in Gladbeck will turn into the center of international gas ballooning.
Teams will arrive, final setups will be completed and the atmosphere on site will gradually build up.

In one week, the start window opens*.

It is the moment where planning becomes reality and the event truly begins.

Will you experience it on site or follow along from afar? 😊

*The exact start date depends on weather conditions and may shift by a few days.

30/07/2026

...so that would settle the matter once and for all. 🙂🙃😉

Great post. Many thanks to the museum for the information.

15/06/2026

High, higher, highest... True to this motto, on May 23, 2026, Deborah Scholes (GBR) set a new FAI women’s altitude record for the highest ascent (Final confirmation pending.). She ascended to an altitude of 6,474.00 meters in the "REFIRE" 1,000 m³ balloon (Ballonbau Wörner Type NL-STU/1000).

We congratulate Deborah and her entire team on this extraordinary achievement. 🤩🥳😍🫶👍

FAI:
https://www.fai.org/records?f%5B0%5D=category%3A1382&f%5B1%5D=field_record_sport%3A2027

Picture: Scholes

11/06/2026

Everything is set for kickoff; the World Cup is ready to begin. 🤩🥳The balloon in Irvine welcomes the U.S. national team with its logo displayed on a giant banner on the envelope.

We hope you have fun and wish the teams the best of luck. 🇩🇪🇫🇷🇺🇸

We're excited to welcome fans to the U.S. Men's National Team Community Training Session Monday, June 8, at the Great Park Championship Soccer Stadium, but we want to be clear: a valid, claimed ticket is required for entry into the event.

If you do not have a ticket, please do not come to the park Monday hoping to watch practice, see players or training activities, meet players or obtain autographs, or access the stadium or event area.

Please note that ticket screenshots will not be accepted. Tickets cannot be sold, purchased, transferred, or redistributed. Any tickets offered for sale or transfer through another platform or individual are not valid and will be voided.

Don't get any ideas ... drones will not be allowed in the park either. The FAA has designated the Great Park as a Temporary Restricted Area for drones from June 1–July 20.

This event will bring increased traffic to the area surrounding the Great Park Monday from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. If you will be traveling through the area, please allow additional time to reach your destination. You can opt in to receive traffic-related updates by texting GREATPARK to 888777. The system will only be used to communicate critical information. Standard text messaging rates apply.

09/06/2026

One record follows another—what an exciting and legendary time for gas ballooning.

The team of Alicia Hempleman-Adams, Bert Padelt, and Peter Cuneo became the first to cross the Atlantic in a hydrogen-powered gas balloon. What an outstanding achievement. We extend our heartfelt congratulations. 🤩🥳🥹💪👍👍

Launch: 0608 UTC, Thursday 4th June 2026, Presque Isle, Maine, USA 🇺🇸
Landing: 0419 UTC, Sunday 7th June 2026, Bastendorf, Tandel, Luxembourg 🇱🇺
Flight time : 70 hours 11 minutes
Distance: 5,282.03km (2,852.07nm)