For the first time for four years the international aeronauts meeting have opened not in the orthodox Troitsa holiday, and the rhythm of competitive flights per day was not interrupted by rains, as it occured earlier. Weather was great, and the present measures have confirmed the reputation first class better.

The amount of balloons rising in the sky above Velikye Luki - 26, controlled by the sportsmen of six states has become record. Besides for the first time city has seen at once two non-standart forms - a bottle "Smirnoff" (W. Ilyinsky) and pie "Happy birthday" (F. Prell). And most important - for the first time Velikye Luki citizens so successfully struggled for prize-winning places, strongly having fixed in 1999 in elite of Russian aeronauts.