The village of Murren, Switzerland, is 1650 meters above sea level. That is 5413 feet or approximately one mile above the valley below. A perfect launch site for a gas balloon to rise high into the sky and fly over the Alpine Mountains for a landing in Italy.
The first documented gas balloon flight from Murren was on August 12, 1910. The pilot was Eduard Spelterini. His balloon was called, “Sirius.” Prior to founding the Fred Dolder High Alpine Ballooning Week in 1962, Fred Dolder flew a gas balloon from Murren in 1957 and again in 1961.
The first year of the Fred Dolder High Alpine Ballooning week occurred in August 1962. Six gas balloons flew. Connie Wolf of Blue Bell, Pennsylvania, had purchased a 33,000 cu.ft. gas balloon from the Balloon Factory in Augsburg, Germany for the purpose of participating in this event. Her flight from Murren, with a Swiss Pilot on board by the name of Fred Forrer, was identified by the race organizers as Flight #4. The US Registration on Connie’s balloon was “N10W.” Connie landed close-by Lake Maggiore in Switzerland.
Peter Pellegrino of the Balloon Club of America in Swarthmore, Pennsylvania would make his one flight from the Fred Dolder High Alpine Ballooning Week on August 20, 1966. Flight #37. His passenger was M. Jasinski. I believe his passenger was Belgium. Peter landed in Trivero, Italy.
The next American to fly from Murren was Francis Shields on June 17, 1967. Francis flew with a Canadian by the name of Charles Rathgeb. This was the 46th gas balloon launch from Murren. Francis enjoyed the experience immensely and was invited by Fred Dolder to fly as his passenger on June 22, 1967 for the 47th gas balloon flight from Murren.
At the encouragement of Francis Shields, a member of the Balloon Club of America in Swarthmore, Pennsylvania, Tony Fairbanks arrived in Murren in 1968 with his wife Mary Louise. Tony would fly the first of his seven flights in this event on June 23, 1968. The pilot was Emil Imhof of Switzerland. Flight #54 with a landing in Unteriberg, Switzerland.
The excitement and at times danger of a large hydrogen filled gas balloon flying from Murren, Switzerland began with Spelterini in the year 1910. Tony Fairbanks would have the distinction of being the only American to return to fly in this event a total of seven times. The friendship with Fred Dolder made the return to Murren pleasant and possible.
Article written by Michael Fairbanks