Virgin Balloons pilot becomes European champion
- By Jack Preston -
- Sep 26, 2012
Virgin Balloons pilot Lindsay Muir has become European champion, after winning the second FAI European Women’s Hot Air Balloon Championship in Frankfurt.
Muir, who was the only British competitor to make her way to Germany, overcame the odds to record a winning score of 13,952 points – 700 ahead of her nearest rival.
To win Muir needed to complete a series of six flights, facing challenges such as dropping markers on targets on the ground to score points. Requiring a huge amount of skill to anticipate wind speed and direction, along with a very fine control of the balloon’s altitude.
“One of the most challenging tasks required taking the balloon up to 7000ft and then dropping to come down and hit the goal on the ground,” explained Muir.
“It meant a huge amount to win this competition, I was one of the most experienced competitors and I felt that there was a lot of expectation on me to win. I have competed in many competitions but to win this one meant a lot. I remember just giving my husband a big hug when I won.”
If this has got you in the mood to head up into the clouds, head over to Virgin Balloons and book yourself a flight – you might even get a European champion as your pilot!
By Jack Preston. Content Executive. Tweets at @JackPressedOn
