A hot air balloon offering a morning ride to an elementary school principal and teacher ended up making a quick landing in an expected place -- the parking lot of an Evans senior retirement community.
The Rising Star hot air balloon, piloted by Manning Bowie, of Martinez, landed just after 9 a.m. in a narrow lot between two buildings at Washington Commons, off Washington Road.
“We were aiming for Mullins Crossing, the Target shopping center, or Academy Sports, but the wind just kind of turned us.”
Mr. Bowie’s two passengers, South Columbia Elementary School principal Lisa Reeder and third grade teacher Carole Prescott said they enjoyed the ride and unexpected landing.
“It was amazing” Ms. Reeder said. “It was the most gentle ride I could have ever imagined.”
The balloon was launched from the front lawn of the school in Martinez as a celebration for students who met their goal in the school’s Red Hot Reader program.
Ms. Prescott was surprised by the flight invitation as the teacher with the most class participation in the program.
The launch has been tentatively planned for weeks, with several delays due to windy conditions, Mr. Manning said.
“We usually fly two hours after sunrise and two hours before sunset because that is when the winds are the calmest,” Mr. Manning said. The launch was a little later than his normal flights.
But Ms. Prescott and Ms. Reeder enjoyed the 30-minute flight over about a mile.
Mr. Manning said as the pilot, he can control the balloon’s vertical movement, but winds carry it horizontally. When winds didn’t cooperate with a landing at Mullins Crossing, Taylor BMW dealership or Academy Sports, Mr. Manning took the opportunity and gently set the balloon in the Washington Commons lot.
He avoided second story buildings, power lines and tall trees.
Though Ms. Reeder said she grazed the pine tree tops with her fingers as the balloon lowered for landing.
“The wind,” Ms. Prescott said, “we ended up where the wind took us and our pilot.”
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