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Title: Grand-Prix 1924 |
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Description: On Sunday July 13, 1924 the Aero-club du Rhone and the Aero-Club du Sud-Est sponsored a annual day of attractions including a pigeon release, ballooning contest, concerts, and a balloon show in the city of Lyons. For the first time, the city of Lyon was highlighted as the departure point for the balloons. The day began with uncertain weather and at just the last moment the weather brightened up for the big annual air show. Under the organization of MM. Boulade and Givaudan, 20 balloonists piloting 20 balloons, which included the famed Charles Dollfus, took off into the air from the Municipal Stadium in Lyons. The departures took place in the foreseen order and at the following hours. Dubois at 4:04, 8 seconds; Heurley at 4:11, 40 seconds; Serastsky at 4:18, 25 seconds; Heutte at 4:32, 17 seconds; Moineau at 4:34, 5 seconds; Lefebvre at 4:39, 11 seconds; Demuyter at 4:49 and 41 seconds; Blanchet at 5:00 and 8 seconds; Fleury at 5:02 and 44 seconds, Vanelle at 5:07 and 44 seconds; Dollfus at 5:10 and 33 seconds; Veenstra at 5:15 and 2 seconds; Laporte at 5:33 and 29 seconds; Auger at 5:40 and 22 seconds; Cormier at 5:44 and 20 seconds; and Latu at 5:48 and 56 seconds. An array of 20 large spherical balloons was meant to draw the public’s eye and it served its purpose. Twenty to thirty thousand people arrived to admire the beautiful balloons in their majestic surroundings. The balloon shows had continued for the previous nineteen years, with the exception of three years during and after World War I. This was L’Aero-club de France’s 13th and final Grand Prix of spherical balloons. |
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