On this day in Alabama history: National Balloon Race launched from Legion Field
Photo of the Goodyear VII balloon, one of the entries in the 1934 National Balloon Race, which launched from Birmingham. (From Bham Wiki, Dystopos, http://www.bhamwiki.com/w/1934_National_Balloon_Race)
July 29, 1934
The 1934 National Balloon Race launched from Legion Field in Birmingham at 9:30 p.m. Hosted by the National Aeronautic Association and sponsored by the Birmingham Post, the event featured six teams of registered hot air balloonists. The three winners, defined as those who managed to travel the farthest from Birmingham before landing, each received $1,750 and represented the United States at the international competition in Poland. All the balloons landed in central Georgia on Aug. 1, with the balloon entered by the U.S. Navy traveling the farthest, 206.4 miles. The nighttime launch was a first for the annual contest, which started in 1909.
Read more at Bhamwiki.
For more on Alabama’s Bicentennial, visit Alabama 200.
