The Augurs inflatable exposition was represented at the Father Frost 2004 exhibition at the VVC Exhibition Complex and afterwards at the 12th international exhibition Advertising 2004 held at the Expocenter on 1-5 of November. Apart from advertising leaflets, exhibition guests had a chance to see inflated sea-waves, waterweeds, an opening and closing shell with a pearl inside, and a radio-controlled airship - a model of the corporate montgolfier. Experts say that among representatives of this market sector the Augur company showed one of the most interesting expositions. 

Video
1. The Augurs exposition stand at the Advertising 2004 exhibition (mpg, 17 Mb)
2. “Rooster” pneumatic structure (mpg, 8 Mb)

September was a rarely prolific month for ballooning events.
Thanks to the fiesta in Grodno,ballooning at last has settled in Byelorussia.Although only Russian and Byelorussian teams took part in the event, but five hot-air balloons, including montgolfiers Karelia and Augur, are enough for a good start :
Skill of the Augurs pilots which has significantly increased for the past few years was demonstrated at the international competition in Czech Republic. The team led by Stanislav Fuodoroff occupied a hard-won 5th place. Soon Russian hot-air balloon pilots from the Augur are planning to win top places.
15 crews participated in a Caucasian Mineral Waters-2004 competition. The contest took place in Zheleznovodsk. Valery Shkulenko won the 5th place with the aerostat called Augur.
The Augur company pilot Leonid Kozlov was the only Russian participant of the hot-air balloon fiesta Ballons de Lumiere 2004 which concurred with the 48th GordonBennett Cup which had started in the French town of Thionville. Leonid Kozlov visited the launch site of participating teams and recorded on the video the whole preparation process of gas aerostats for take-off and gathered a lot of information owing to which Russian balloonists will be able to duly fit themselves forparticipation in this high-status competition in the nearest future.
Another impressive September aerostatic show was held over exhibition areas of Crocus Expo and Gostiny Dvor. With the radio-controlled Audi airship - an exceptional flying copy of the Audi A8 - the Augur gathered a new crop in the field of outdoor advertising. Those who had seen that unmanned aircraft could not hide their amazement and delight.
Six inflatable face-cream jars were made for the Oriflame company. The customers representatives expressed their deep satisfaction with this excellent work.

To celebrate the 850th anniversary of Dmitrov, a town in Moscow region, a well-known European company Kubicek Balloons (www.kubicekballoons.cz) built a 10-seat aerostat with the town arms and other historical symbols on the envelope. It is the largest hot-air aerostat in Russia, its volume is 4250 cubic metres. (Until then the largest balloon was an AX-10 aerostat Try the Sky wit a volume of 4200 cubic metres belonging to the Augur Aeronautical Centre.)
The aerostat was purchased by the Aerowaltz ballooning club (www.aerowaltz.ru) through the official dealer of the Kubicek Balloons in Russia the Augur Aeronautical Centre.
Beginning from the 22nd of August, the starting date of the ballooning cup of the Moscow region governor, the giant aerostat Dmitrov-850 will surely become the symbol of the celebration. Many locals and visitors will be able to marvel at a birds-eye view of their town.

1-seat airship Au-11 Stork having undergone a number of modifications took off into the air and showed good manoeuvrability and speed. The airship is planned to take part in the training program of pilots for the "Moscow project" which implies the use of two 2-seat gas airships of Au-12M series and three tethered Au-27 gas aerostats to monitor the city roads with the purpose of preventing traffic congestion, jams and accidents. The non-rigid Au-11 airship may travel at the maximum speed of 90 km per hour. Similar to the Au-12M airships, the Stork airship is designed for flights at the altitude of 1000 metres, its navigational equipment is largely akin to that of Au-12M airships, and training on this aircraft is maximally close to real conditions of a patrol airship flight.

Video (24 Mb)

For the first time in Russia there was held a mass balloon excursion in the sky. Three montgolfiers took 17 people aloft - 14 passengers and 3 crewmembers. Having learnt about a Russian "riding" attraction tourists from Taiwan decided to experience this new Russian amusement. And, as it proved, did not regret it. Every new-made balloonist was handed a diploma to certify that he or she had become a real aeronaut. Such mass ridings became possible owing to the only Russian 9-seat aerostat Try the Sky (AX-10, according to the FAI classification) which had been built on the special order by the Czech company Kubicek Balloons.

To mark the 100th anniversary of Valery Chkalov and 75th anniversary of his legendary flight beneath the Troitski bridge in Leningrad (for which he was arrested), the worlds first hot-air airship flight under the Ukranian bridge Running Deer was made. However this time everything was legal and approved by local authorities.
To the elated cheers of viewers, leisurely the AV-1 hot-air airship twice went under the bridge. The event took place within the VIII international festival Air Fellowship 2004.
The well-known among lovers of extreme sports Running Deer bridge 56 metres high arches over the Smotrich river in the Ukrainian town Kamenets-Podolsky. Now, after the sensation is made, the only thing left to do is to wait for the publication in the Guinness Book of Records.
The first Russian hot-air airship Eagle Owl was built in 1994 by the Czech company Kubicek Balloons on the order of the Augur Aeronautical Centre. This airship is designed to accommodate two persons. It is 32 metres long, volume of the envelope is 2350 cubic metres. For 10 years the red airship has been an adornment of the Russian sky.
The AV-1 became famous when in 2004 set a world record in flight endurance. It was flown by the Russian balloonist Nikolay Galkin. Nikolay Galkin is 33 years old, he was born and still lives in a town of Zhukovsky in the Moscow region. In 2002 he obtained a licence of a free aerostat and airship pilot and holds a post of a deputy chief designer at the Augur Aeronautical Centre.

Festivities dedicated to opening of 12 cinema halls in the Auchan shopping centre were decorated with a laser show. Two Au-6 aerostats belonging to the Augur company held taut a net-screen for lasers. The play of light in the night sky combining with soaring balloons gave the celebration a fairy look.

From the 1 till 31 of May Ukraine hosts the VIII international ballooning festival Air Fellowship - 2004 organized by the Federation of Aerostatics of Ukraine together with a number of state departments and establishments. 19 teams from Ukraine, Russia, Czech Republic and other countries took part in the competition.
The Augur company sent 3 crews to partake in the Podolye Cup festival. The Viva balloon was flown by D. Yegorushkov, L. Kozlov piloted the Augur balloon, and G. Alexeyev was the pilot of the ROSTO balloon.
The sports director of the event Stanislav Fuodoroff, a well-known Russian aeronaut, marked significance of such meetings very high. Matthias de Bruin (the Netherlands), the vice-president of FAI, commented on the event, in particular he said, ":the nature dictates its terms, here winds often change, and all this is very difficult."

The Kubicek Balloons company sells its hot-air aerostats in Russia through its official representative, the Augur Aeronautical Centre. The application of aerostats of this European manufacturer in Russia was certified by the Interstate Aviation Committee which issued type certificates for the whole BB series of hot-air aerostats built by the Kubicek Balloons. This event has a significant importance for Russian aerostatics. Hot-air balloons created by distinguished European manufacturers allow Russian aeronauts to take part in international competitions and fiestas on a footing of equality and demonstrate their skill not worrying about possible problems caused by low quality of balloon envelopes, burners, or baskets.

The pilot of the Augur Aeronautical Centre Nikolay Galkin set a world record in flight endurance for hot-air airships. The flight was accomplished in the AV-1 Eagle Owl airship of the ВХ-04 subclass (according to classification of FAI). The airship was built in Czech Republic by the Kubicek Balloons company in 1994.

A famous Russian aeronaut Stanislav Fuodoroff made a flight in the Karelia hot-air balloon. At an altitude of 7239 metres he beat an altitude record. During preparations for the flight the pilot underwent a special training.

The hot-air mini-airship Au-29 given a name of Chaffinch and developed in the Augur Aeronautical Centre successfully completed its first short-term trial flight. According to the pilot Mikhail Tisko, the aircraft is nice and easy in operation.
It was based on the hot-air tethered aerostat Au-26. This is a 1-seat airship with an engine mounting. In autonomous flight aircraft of this type may stay in the air up to 1 hour. Granting the low production cost and high reliability, the Augur's market researchers say the system based on the Au-29 airship may take a niche of a "people's airship" and find a ready market.

V international hot-air balloon festival Caucasian Mineral Waters - Russian Pearl-2003 timed for the 200th anniversary of the ecological resort area including, together with Zheleznovodsk, a place of fiesta, such resort towns as Pyatigorsk, Yessentuki, and Kislovodsk. The bishop of Stavropol and Vladikavkaz Feofan who visited the opening of the event blessed participants. Representatives of the region authorities and mayor of Zheleznovodsk wished brave sportsmen good luck.
Over 20 crews from Russia and the CIS took part in the festival. Pilot Naidenov won the first prize, pilots Morev and Denisenko took the 2nd and the 3d places respectively. Pilot Valery Shkulenko from the Augur Aeronautic Centre won the 4th place. "Surrounding landscape generates such air currents that allow reaching full potential of non-propelled lighter-than-air vehicles," he said.

The Augur company furnished the school libraries festival Bibliobraz with the Au-6 aerodynamic gas tethered aerostat. The festival was opened in Moscow by Liudmila Putina. The aerostat with the event logo became a sort of a visiting card of the whole "week of culture and diplomacy". The central television and other mass media covering the festival unavoidably added to their information reports with First Ladies of Russia, USA and United Kingdom a spectacular image of an aerostatic ad-carrier with the banner of Bibliobraz.

The Augur company owns of the largest in Russia hot-air aerostat. Kubicek Balloons, European manufacturer, built and delivered this aerostatic system to its partner and official representative in Russia - the Augur Aeronautical Centre. The envelope of the BB42Z aerostat has a volume of 4250 cubic metres and is capable of lifting a 9-seat basket with a carrying capacity of 1000 kilograms. Now big companies of friends and whole families have an opportunity to take a ride in the sky.

International sports flight of hot-air balloons Russia-Ukraine as a part of the Year of Ukraine was timed to the 100 anniversary of aviation and 200 anniversary of the first ascent of a balloon in Russia. 10 crews took part in the event (5 Ukrainian and 5 Russian teams) which was organized by Ukrainian Federation of Aerostatics and Russian Aeronautic Society. The International flight Russia-Ukraine received support of the Ukrainian cabinet, Russian government, customs departments of Ukraine and Russia, Russian embassy in Ukraine, administration of Donetsk, Zaporozhye, Kharkov regions, Kiev city council, and was sponsored by TNK-Ukraine, financial corporation Social Initiative and Kiev automobile club.
Balloons went along the following course: Moscow - Amvrosiyevka (on the border of Rostov and Donetsk regions) - Donetsk - Zaporozhye - Kharkov - Kiev.
The Augur Aeronautic Centre sent its newest hot-air aerostats ROSTO and Karelia together with well-known balloonists: Stanislav Fuodoroff, Valery Shkulenko, Gennady Alexeyev, Nikolay Galkin, Mikhail Tisko and Dmitry Yegorushkov.
After summing up the result, on the 7 of September the best crews were awarded in Kiev, including the Augur's pilot G. Alexeyev who won the 3d prize.

The Augur Aeronautic Centre participated in the International Aerospace Show MAKS 2003. The company's exhibition stand presented up-to-date aerostatic technologies. On the open site the Augur demonstrated the 2-seat Au-12M airship which is to monitor streets of the Russian capital, as well as the first in Russia AV-1R hot-air airship built by Kubicek Balloons and known from the previous shows, two tethered gas aerostats Au-17 BARS, target-aerostats Au-6M (gas aerostat) and Au-26 (hot-air aerostat). By the way, the Au-26 Green Snake aerostat is the first in history hot-air tethered balloon. Among the new projects the Augur Aeronautic Centre presented the stratospheric unmanned airship Golden Eagle.
Alex Kubicek visited the MAKS 2003 and handed Stanislav Fuodoroff, the head of the Augur Aeronautic Centre, a certificate of an official representative of the Kubicek Balloons.

In connection with the international sports flight of hot-air balloons Russia-Ukraine to mark the Year of Russia in Ukraine, the Revival Cup in aerostatics is held in Kiev. At the invitation of the Ukrainian Aerostatics Federation, the Russian party presents a crew consisting of the pilot and chief of the Augur Aeronautic Centre Stanislav Fuodoroff and co-pilot Gennady Alexeyev.

Three crews from the Augur Aeronautic Centre participated in the 2nd Russian festival of hot-air balloons named the Sky of Saint Sergiy which was held in Moscow region. Among the most spectacular balloons were Tzar Bell, Yellow Submarine, Nescafe Cup and the biggest in Europe balloon - the exact full-size copy of one of Kremlin towers. Also among this abundance of shapes there stood out tow balloons of the Augur Aeronautic Centre - Karelia and Augur which were made on the special order of Russian aeronauts by the Czech company Kubicek Balloons. Three pilots of the Augur: S. Fuodoroff, A. Kozlov, V. Shkulenko - were awarded with certificates of honour. The festival was held under the blessing of the Moscow and Russia Patriarch Alexiy II.

The towns of Perm and Kungur saw ballooning competitions for the Governor Cup of Perm region. About 20 teams from Russia and the CIS took part in the contest. The hot-air balloon named Augur made its maiden flight piloted by Valery Shkulenko.

Czech company Kubicek Balloons, the world's leader in hot-air balloons manufacturing, made a partner agreement with the Augur Aeronautic Centre according to which the Russian company is an exclusive dealer of the Kubicek in Russia and the CIS.

The DAG-2M tethered aerostat underwent its preoperational tests. This aerostatic system is designed to train paratroopers.

Key specialists of the Augur Aeronautic Centre Stanislav Fuodoroff and Vadim Timoshenko are distinguished with the Government Award of 2001 for development and manufacture of new aerostatic systems. The ceremony was held in the House of Government. The prime-minister Mikhail Kasyanov said: "The presented works demonstrate a high scientific level, and their results are implemented in practice… The question of transfer of economy to innovative ways is on our agenda; the state will step by step demand for scientific products…" The government awards to the Augur Aeronautic Centre are recognition of importance of aerostatic technologies development in Russia. Working for the future, the company is intended to pay attention to scientific researches in the field of aerostatics and train high-qualified staff.

The Augur Aeronautic Centre took an active part in preparation for celebration of the birthday of the Petroleum Parallel issued by the Yukos company. The Augur's designers designed an original pneumatic construction in the shape of a newspaper which even became a heart of public events in towns of Nefteyugansk, Neftegorsk and Suhodol.

A Russian company - the Augur Aeronautical Centre - has completed a set of certification tests of the AeroLift aerostatic attraction.
After the AeroLift is put it into commercial operation, in the nearest future it will become one of the showplaces of the legendary town of Pompeii and give all visitors a chance to enjoy a birds-eye view from 150 meters altitude. Operation experience of such attractions has been showing their profitability for two seasons now.

From March 25th to April 15th the Augur Aeronautical Centre together with the National Chkalov Aeroclub performs preoperational tests of the Aerolift aerostatic attraction at Tushino airdrome. The Aerolift was built to the order of the Italian party. After receiving the international Type Certification the aerostat will be operated in Italy as an observation platform and become one of showplaces of the ancient town of Pompeii.

The Augur Aeronautical Centre took part in the biennial Moscow Airspace Show MAKS-2001 in the town of Zhukovsky demonstrating airships of the Au series.

On the 10th and 11th of December, 2000, visitors of the “Entertainment Industry-2000” exhibition (pavilion “Forum”) in Krasnaya Presnya Street were amused to see the demonstration flight of the new radio-controlled airship of the RD-1 series manufactured for the GEM Association and Golden Palace casino.

Another gigantic project was realized. Inflatable 6- and 12-meter phones manufactured for the MTC company advertising campaign appeared in various places of the city: in Pushkinskaya, Arbatskaya, Triumphalnaya, Smolenskaya, and Kaluzhskaya Squares, as well as in Pobedi Square and near the Central House of Artists in Krymski Val Street.

The Augur Aeronautical Centre completed a new radio-controlled airship of the RD-1 series, and its first flights were performed at the “Furniture-200” exhibition, which went on until the 18th of November at the exhibition complex in Krasnaya Presnya Street (pavilion “Forum”). In the nearby street all comers could see our tethered gas aerostat Àu-5.

An exhibition dedicated to the Krasnoyarsk museum biennale came to an end in Stuttgart. The Augur Aeronautical Centre had manufactured inflatable constructions in the shape of the main symbols of the exhibition – “Eye” and “Lips” – being also one of its sponsors.

Kurchatov Scientific Centre saw a test launch of the aerostatic Internet-broadcasting system named BARS.