Australian Nicola Scaife from NSW has successfully defended her Federation Aeronautique Internationale (FAI) World Women’s Hot Air Balloon Champion title, winning the championship for the second time.
Scaife and her team competed in the World Championships in Bristonas, Lithuania, from 5-10 July, taking the win ahead of teams from Belgium and the USA.
"To win the first women’s world championship was an incredible feeling," 31-year-old Scaife said. "It was my first big competition and I didn't really know what to expect.
“Coming into the second world championships I had certainly put more pressure on myself to win. I had more experience and I knew that I was flying well and had a good chance to defend my title.
"To win the championships, and by such a great margin, was all that I could have hoped for.
“I’m feeling completely elated and also relieved. While the weather wasn't in our favour I am happy that I had enough opportunities to execute my skills and get to the top of the rankings.
“There has been a lot of planning, hard work, dreaming, expense and energy gone into this, but to be able to say that I am the two-time Women’s World Champion makes it all worth it!"
A hot air balloon competition requires competitors to score points by undertaking a number of set tasks, which are predetermined by an Event Director before a flight. This generally involves the pilot throwing a weighted streamer at a target, usually a cross or road intersection with set coordinates. To get there the pilot needs to manoeuvre the balloon by using wind currents at various altitudes. Flying takes place in the morning and evening and the eventual winner is the pilot who has accumulated the most number of points over the week of flying.
Scaife started strongly taking second place after the first flight and then leap frogged from second to first after the second flight. She then consolidated her position on the third flight (five tasks) to maintain her first place.
The last flight was unusually cancelled mid-flight due to rain. After landing safely, the team celebrated the win.
The closest competitors were Ann Herdewyn (Belgium) coming in second and Cheri White (USA), third.