Richard Abruzzo and Carol Rymer Davis, his faithful gas balloon teammate got killed during the last Gordon Bennett Cup in September 2010. Richard Abruzzo was a talented competitor. He won the 2004 Gordon Bennett (Thionville – Moselle). In 2006, he got injured during the America Challenge (Gordon Bennett equivalent). He thought he would stay in a wheelchair his whole life but thanks to his strength, he became again an athlete. In the Abruzzo family, the willing to win is stronger than the competition spirit.
Reference Pilâtre de Rozier Organisation – Collector 2011