2017 Gordon Bennett

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Event Schedule (subject to change)

Thursday Sept. 7, 2017 (all times UTC +2)

1.30 p.m. Swiss parachuting championship *

4-man Formation Skydiving – 1st leg.

Venue : Runway and parachuting sectors – festival area

4.00 p.m Swiss parachuting championship *

4-man Formation Skydiving – 2nd leg.

Venue : Runway and parachuting sectors – festival area

5.30 p.m. Parade of the teams through the town of Gruyères

• Parade of the pilots accompanied by the flags of the countries participating
• Start of the parade and musical entertainment by Appel du Manoir
• Route of the parade: City gate – Rue du Bourg – Gruyères Castle

Venue : Town of Gruyères

6 p.m. Gordon Bennett Fribourg 2017 opening ceremony

Reserved for teams and guests

• Draw for start order
• Musical interludes by Appel du Manoir
• Exclusive participation of the Chœur des Armaillis de la Gruyère
• Presentation of PRO AERO prizes
• Cocktail reception with entertainment provided by the group Les Trèna-tsothè

Venue : Esplanade of Gruyères

Friday Sept. 8, 2017 (all times UTC +2)

6 a.m. Take-off of hot-air balloons *

Venue : Runway sectors – festival area

9 a.m. Opening of the festival area

• Aeronautical stands
• Aeronautical demonstrations
• Entertainment for schools and families
• Plane trips with the Inem association for ill or recovering children, accompanied by their brothers and sisters.
• The Bénichon swing
• Inflation of the competition gas balloons *

Venue : Festival area

9.30 a.m. Swiss parachuting championship *

4-man Formation Skydiving – 3rd leg:

Speed & Wingsuit – 1st leg.

Venue : Runway and parachuting sectors – festival area

11 a.m. Corporate Bénichon

• Full menu of the Bénichon
• Musical entertainment by Daniel Thürler
• Grand tombola
• Reservation obligatory

Venue : Main canteen – festival area

1.30 p.m. Swiss parachuting championship *

4-man Formation Skydiving – 4th leg.

Speed & Wingsuit – 2nd leg.

Venue : Runway and parachuting sectors – festival area

5 p.m. – 8 p.m. Aeronautical handiwork stand for children, organized by Centranim

Venue : Entertainment sector – festival area

5 p.m – midnight: Manufacture of fortified wine by Mr. Jean-Claude Sudan

Venue : Local area and traditions

6 p.m – 8 p.m Manufacture of Gruyère cheese by the “Confrérie du Gruyère” brotherhood

Venue : Local area and traditions

6 p.m. Musical entertainment by the Amicale Vudallaz, Albeuve-Enney

Lieu : Main canteen – festival area

Not to be missed!

6.15 p.m. Demonstration by the PC-7 TEAM *

• Live commentary by the patrol’s official announcer

Lieu : Runway sectors – festival area

6.15 p.m. Take-off ceremony *

• Parade of official guests, the Cadre Noir et Blanc and the Contingent des Grenadiers fribourgeois
• Official speeches
• Musical interludes by the Amicale Vudallaz, Albeuve-Enney and the Gruvia

Lieu : Main canteen – festival area

7.30 p.m. Take-off of gas balloons and start of the 61st Coupe Aéronautique Gordon Bennett

• Take-off of balloons to their respective national anthems
• Swiss national anthem played live by the Amicale Vudallaz, Albeuve-Enney

Venue : Take-off podium – festival area

8.45 p.m. Ballade dans le ciel de l’Armailli – light and sound show*

Created by Les Couleurs de la Nuit – Bernard Maciel

Text : Jacques Boireau

Music : Frédéric Rody

With the participation of the Club de Vol Libre de la Gruyère and the Groupe des Aérostiers de Fribourg GAF

Venue : Festival area

9.30 p.m. Concert by the group Tyago

then musical entertainment by DJ Fabien Dey

Venue : Main canteen – festival area

1 a.m. Festival area closed