THE world's oldest aviation event, the Gordon Bennett Gas Balloon Race, is coming to Bristol in September.

On September 25, gas balloonists from all over the world will compete in the 54th Gordon Bennett race – a race to fly the furthest distance in a gas balloon from the start point.

A total of 22 teams, consisting of two pilots (pilot and co-pilot) and a retrieve crew, from 12 countries will compete in the event.

The balloons will take off at dusk from Ashton Court. Great Britain will be represented by three teams. The pilots in command will be David Hempleman-Adams, Colin Butter and Janet Folkes.

The inaugural race took place in Paris in 1906. Since then no Briton had won until, in 2008, the UK team of David Hempleman-Adams and Jon Mason flew 1,767kms in just over three days, flying from Albuquerque in New Mexico to the shores of Lake Michigan north of Chicago.

By winning the race in 2008, they won the honour of hosting the race in their home nation.

World records are broken during this endurance challenge and many watch each step of the race online thanks to on-board GPS tracking systems.

More teams from more countries have entered this year than in any year since 1909.

This is a race of old-fashioned gas balloons, each with a two-person crew. The balloons are filled with hydrogen and controlled only by releasing gas to go down and throwing out sand to go up.

The winner is the balloon that lands furthest from the take-off point. The balloons will fly for three or four days going hundreds of miles from the start. Where they will land will depend on the winds to be found during the flight.

In previous years, flights from Europe have ended up at the North Cape of Norway, the south west tip of Portugal and the Black Sea.

Landings in the water do not qualify, so pilots try to find the furthest point of land possible. This year it is hoped that the Ukraine will be open, allowing a really long flight if the right winds can be found.

The teams will be equipped with warm clothing, sleeping bags, safety equipment, flight instruments and radios and many bags of sand.

Each team will be given a luxury hamper containing chocolate caviar, champagne and other goodies from Harvey Nichols in Bristol to take on their trip.