There are several ways to track the 2024 Gordon Bennett competition. Launch is from Muenster, Germany sometime between Friday evening September 13th and Monday, September 16th. Earliest evening with acceptable weather will be the launch date.
If you happened to be in Albuquerque for the launch of the 2023 Coupe Aeronautique Gordon Bennett, have long followed gas balloons, or are just learning about this amazing sport, you can see the teams, stats and status of this world-famous gas balloon race!
The Gordon Bennett website will provide a moving map showing the location of each balloon, updated at approximately 10 minute intervals. You can also watch the race using This website will also point you to another website or app (if you are using a phone) named www.ybtracking.com. As of today, the GB is shown in the ‘coming soon’ column on the ybtracking website. These position reports come via a satellite data link from the balloon.
Alternately, if you want to track just team USA2 11, Foxtrot Charlie (Balloon Museum Foundation president, Peter Cuneo and his wife, Barbara Fricke), they will be carrying a Garmin inReach satellite tracker which will give their position on a roughly 10 minute update cycle. https://share.garmin.com/PeterCuneo
Barbara and Peter’s FAA mandated transponder will be broadcasting their position to Air Traffic Control with a very rapid update rate. Their aircraft is identified by their FAA designated ‘tail number’ which is N505HY. This information can be accessed via any of several public air traffic tracking sites, either using a phone app (for example, the Flight Aware Flight Tracker app) or at https://www.flightaware.com/live/flight/N505HY
You may have to adjust the display times to see the full track from launch.
If all goes well, the balloon & the chase truck tracks should converge soon after the balloon lands!
Short of being in the basket with Peter and Barbara, you can join the WhatsApp group for Crew, Family and Friends.
Finally, you can follow the 2024 67th Gordon Bennett Couple Aeronautique Facebook page.
