Swiss gas balloon heads towards Finland across Gulf of Finland

A gas balloon launched from Germany is approaching Finland, Yle reports. The balloon was flying over the Gulf of Finland south of Porvoo on Sunday, carrying Swiss competitors Balthasar Wicki and René Erni.

The pair are taking part in the Gordon Bennett competition, the world’s oldest aviation contest. The Finnish Gulf Coast Guard told Yle that the competitors appeared to be following their planned route.

The balloon may reach the area around Kotka or Loviisa at about 7pm, according to Timo Hyvönen, a board member of the International Aeronautical Federation. He said the Swiss team had taken a daring route across the Baltic Sea.

Hyvönen said the main risk when travelling by gas balloon is that the wind may weaken and slow the journey. However, conditions at sea usually provide enough wind for the balloon to reach land. The Swiss team chose a different route from the other competitors and benefited from favourable winds.

Under the competition rules, all balloons start from the same field in Gladbeck, Germany. Teams use different layers of airspace to travel as far as possible from the starting point. The winner is determined by the straight-line distance between the launch site and the point where the balloon lands, regardless of the flight duration or route taken.

Gas balloon crews change altitude to find favourable winds. The Swiss balloon has flown at heights ranging from about 1 to 950 metres above sea level. Its speed was just over 22 kilometres per hour on Saturday afternoon.