By Ruth Wilson, CIA Alternate Delegate for Australia and Member of the CIA PMR subcommittee

At age 38 Benjamin (Benni) Eimers (GER) received the highest accolade of his sporting life. He was awarded the 2022 FAI Montgolfier Diploma for the best sporting performance in Gas Ballooning.

With his father Wilhelm Eimers sharing his basket, Benni launched from St Gallen, Switzerland on 2 September 2022. They flew 1572km in 60 hours 45 minutes encountering restricted flight areas, rain, clouds, and temperatures of minus 10 degrees Celsius with flight levels at times over 18,000 feet.

For over fifteen years Benni had managed his father’s Gordon Bennett Ground Control Teams whose support covered weather updates, clearance with various air traffic controllers and other necessary advice. Consequently, for this race Benni drew on such experience to select an excellent ground support team.

The pilots flew high through stable weather saving the need to ballast sand to maintain flight equilibrium. After three nights airborne their position found them over the Black Sea with a distance of 60km to fly to cross the coast. Their accumulated sand for those final kilometres was profoundly appreciated.

The race rules state: “This is a race of country against country. Two people of the same nationality must be in the basket. The pilot must hold a gas balloon rating. The balloon that achieves the longest distance from a common launch site is the winner.”

Willi & Benni Eimers acknowledge their safe landing and 2022 Gordon Bennett Race win.

In those final race moments in 2022 it was a Swiss team challenging the German Eimers’ team for the win. With only a winning distance of 21.98km between the Swiss and German teams after flying over 1570 km the Eimers claimed victory with a landing in Bulgaria.

Markus Haggeney, Race Director, was quoted after all balloons had landed as saying ‘the teams flew close to each other. All showed a top level of skill, the best in over 30 years.’ 

Benjamin Eimers has claimed three podium places in five Gordon Bennett races. He also holds several German national records in hot air and gas ballooning. He holds an instructor and examiner rating for both hot air and gas ballooning. His background includes studies for mechanical engineering and computer science. He currently manages his own garden and landscaping company. He is married and father of two sons.

Heard by the public on the St Gallen launch site - “we are last to launch today but no problem we will catch the others” …Prophetic words indeed from Benjamin Eimers.

His father Wilhelm Eimers received the 1994 Montgolfier Diploma for his 1993 Best Performance in a Gas Balloon.

Heartiest congratulations to both Benjamin and Wilhelm Eimers for their outstanding gas ballooning achievements as well as their dedication to the sport of ballooning.

Gas Ballooning - a magical platform for flight but also photographic images. Benni Eimers produces such an image in the 2022 Gordon Bennett Gas Balloon Race.

Top picture: Benjamin Eimers and his father, Wilhelm, are dual Montgolfier Diploma recipients, for flights in 2022 and 1993, respectively.
Photo credit: Eimers family