During the closing ceremony of the 56th Coupe Aéronautique Gordon Bennett in Ebnat-Kappel (Switzerland), FAI President John Grubbström (right) handed over the FAI flag to Didier Sartelet, town mayor of Heillecourt and Vice President of the urban community of Greater Nancy (France), where the next edition of the Coupe Aéronautique Gordon Bennett will be held next year from 22 to 31 August 2013.

The gas balloon competition, which is one of the most prestigious and oldest events in aviation, has the particularity to be organised by the winning team’s country two years after their victory. Frenchmen Sébastien Rolland and Vincent Leys’s Gold Medal in 2011 gave France the privilege to host the competition in 2013.

The 57th Coupe Aéronautique Gordon Bennett will be jointly organised by the Fédération Française d'Aérostation and the Association Gordon Bennett Nancy.