Fricke/Cuneo Unofficial Winners

ANN has learned that the final balloon aloft in the America’s Challenge distance race for gas balloons has landed safely on the U.S./Canadian border. Albuquerque’s Barbara Fricke and Peter Cuneo are the unofficial winners of the race, having flown 1,350 miles (2,173 km) in approximately 57 hours and 30 minutes. The team landed on the east shore of the Detroit River in Windsor, Ontario Canada. Gas balloon landings in urban areas are very unusual, as the balloons usually land in rural and even remote areas.

This is the team’s second America’s Challenge win. With Cuneo flying as the primary pilot, they won the race in 2001. They have finished second three times, in 2003, 2005, and 2007.

Barbara Fricke is the second woman in the history of the America’s Challenge to win the race as the primary pilot(Janet Folkes was the first, in 2005). The top three distances in the race this year were all achieved by female primary pilots: Barbara Fricke, Danielle Francoeur, and Cheri White.

The final results will be posted to the America’s Challenge website once the race’s scoring officers verify the data and assure that the race was flown in accordance with the rules.

Unofficial America’s Challenge Results:

1. AC-3 Barbara Fricke/Peter Cuneo: 1,350 mi/2,173 km, approximately 57:30
2. AC-7 Danielle Francoeur/Linda Ellis: 1,223 mi/ 1,968 km, 57:15
3. AC-5 Cheri White/Mark Sullivan: 938 mi/1,505 km, 41:03
4. AC-4 Bert Padelt/Louis Vitanza: 921 mi/1,482 km, 39:50
5. AC-2 Phil Bryant/Phil McNutt: 547mi/880 km, 28:59
6. AC-6 Troy Bradley/Shane Robinson 266 mi/428 km, 18:50

FMI: www.balloonfiesta.com/GasTracking/2010