This year the 22nd FAI European Hot Air Balloon Championship will be hosted in Szeged, Hungary
Today is a big day in the history of Hungarian hot air ballooning, as today it was announced that Szeged will host the 22nd FAI European Hot Air Balloon Championship in 2021, but it also happened exactly 210 years ago, on June 3rd, 1811, that the first hot air balloon flew in Hungary for the first time. The organizers are expecting more than 100 balloons for the international competition and balloon fiesta. The competitors arrive to Szeged – the City of Sunshine – from many parts of Europe. Will be pilots from 23 countries.
It will be the first time that an Armenian hot air balloon pilot will participate at a European Championship, but among the participants there are multiple world and European champions, a junior world champion, a five-time European champion, a women’s European champion, a nineteen-times Dutch, a eight-time Austrian, a seven-time Belgian, a six-time Hungarian, a five-time English, a five-time Latvian and a four-time French champion. Simply put: in September 2021, the best of the profession will be present at the competition.
Several participants submitted personal introductory material, which is available at the link below: competitors and their balloons.
“Here, in Szeged the month of September has been about the art of aviation every year since 2016, but I can safely say that this year the European Championship will open a whole new chapter for the fans of hot air balloons. The sport has already been very popular in Szeged, and we wanted to take advantage of that and give the people in the city an exciting week with the European championship” – said Zoltán Majó-Petri, the Managing Director of the Szeged Transport Company.
Konecsni János – six-time Hungarian hot air balloon champion and the current title holder and Zoltán Pálhegyi – Deputy Director of 22nd European Hot Air Balloon Championship are presented.
Also participated via video link: John GRUBBSTRÖM, Jury President of the 22nd FAI European Hot Air Balloon Championship
Stefan ZEBERLI, five-time European champion and current title holder.
This year the organizers are offering a special patronage program to hot air balloon fanatics who want even more than the spectacle of more than hundred balloons. Those who join the patron club will receive the following additional services:
- detailed competition information
- exact departure data
- free European Championship T-shirt
- access to the paddock area (at a pre-arranged time)
- and only they will be able to obtain tickets for a hot air balloon ride (the ride is not included in the patron ticket, only the option to buy a ticket)
The patron ticket is available from today on the website https://tixa.hu/xxii-fai-holegballon-europa-bajnoksag
12-18 of September, 2021 –22nd FAI European Hot Air Balloon Championship – The event where balloons paint the sky
Lieber Stefan, wir begleiten Dich mit unseren besten Gedanken und wünschen Dir viel Glück bei Deinen Entscheidungen während der vielen Aufgaben, und v.a. immer guet Land ! Josy und Silvan