Balloon festival in Decatur

Operators attach a giant U.S. flag to the basket of a hot air balloon Saturday at the 32nd annual Alabama Jubilee Hot Air Balloon Festival at Point Mallard in Decatur.

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Balloon crash survivor going back up

The hot-air balloon pilot who survived a 9,500-foot fall in Anderson last year said recently he will launch his new balloon, Lucky Trails, in Michigan this weekend in what he said will be his first competitive flight since the horrific plunge.

“That’s the first time I’ve ever had anything like that happen,” Chuck Walz said in a phone interview with The Greenville News. “I pray to God nothing like that ever happens again.”

Dozens of onlookers watched in horror last Labor Day weekend as Walz’s balloon, Little Trails, plunged from the sky and hit a tree that rescuers credited with saving his life. A firefighter who witnessed the drop said the limp balloon and basket looked like “a rock on a shoestring.”

Walz, who lives in Munith, Mich., and has hundreds of hours’ flying experience, said he was still on crutches in January when he got back into a balloon for the first time.
On that first ride, a noise made him jumpy, he said.

“I won’t deny the fact that I was nervous. I’m still nervous,” said Walz, an engineer with the Jackson County Road Commission.

Walz said put aside the crutches about three months ago and has since been up in a balloon by himself.

Walz said he will pass on competing in this year’s U.S. National Hot Air Balloon Championship, even though the contest will be in Marshall, Mich. — practically his backyard.

It was during last year’s championship — held in Anderson — that he crashed.
“I’m not going to compete because that would be stuck in the back of my mind,” Walz said.

The Great Southeast Balloon Fest, which was being held at the same time as the championship, won’t be back this year. But it has nothing to do with Walz’s crash, said Dan Stukas, who was balloon meister at last year’s festival.

“It’s directly related to money,” Stukas said.

A group of balloonists is trying to put together a smaller event for downtown Anderson in July called the Electric City Hot Air Affair, he said.

Walz said he remains confident that flying balloons is safe and encourages those who have never been up to give it a try.

He said he’s still in touch with some of the Upstate residents who helped him and his family in the aftermath of the crash and would like to return to the area to personally thank them.

“I think everybody would be amazed to see how I walk and how I’m getting around,” Walz said.

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Darth Vader ushers in Balloonfest 2009

EL PASO -- Getting hundreds people up at sunrise requires nothing more than a mix of hot air and a "Star Wars" character.

Christine Sambrano was one of the early risers Saturday, driving from the West Side to the Upper Valley to meet her friends and family at 6 a.m. for an El Paso tradition. She joined nearly 1,000 other people who attended the 24th annual KLAQ Balloonfest's opening day at Grace Gardens, 6701 Westside Drive.

"There's not many events like this in El Paso, and it's nice to not have to drive to Albuquerque," she said. "It also makes great memories for the kids and anyone else who's here for the first time."

The crowd was made up of hot-air-balloon lovers of all ages and tastes, but the Darth Vader helmet balloon was the event's must-see attraction.

Imported from Belgium, the 86-foot-high, 640-pound balloon was originally seen at the Albuquerque Hot Air Balloon Fiesta two years ago and impressed KLAQ Event Director Gina Roe Davis. She said the balloon and its company were great crowd-pleasers, and she couldn't wait to get them in El Paso.

"I think the whole 'Star Wars' theme is very entertaining and it's good for the whole family," Davis said. "It brings out the kid in everyone."

Thirty-one balloons were launched in two waves Saturday morning.

Two more launches will follow at 5:30 a.m. Sunday and Monday.

The first Champagne Festival will be from 4 p.m. to midnight Sunday and from 2 to 10 p.m. Monday. Concerts are also taking place at Wet 'N Wild Waterworld, including headlining band Hoobastank on Monday night.

Pink Rivera may be reached at news@elpasotimes.com; 546-6194.


KLAQ Balloonfest information
# What: Daily launchings of Darth Vader and 30 other balloons, concerts, and the first El Paso Champagne Festival.
# Information: 544-9550, www.klaq.com; 886-2222, www.wetwild.com; 877-2745, www.elpasogracegardens.com.
Balloons
# Where: Grace Gardens, 6701 Westside Drive.
# Sunday and Monday: all balloons launch at 5:30 a.m.
# All balloons land by 8:30 a.m. each day.
Concerts
# Where: Wet 'N' Wild Waterworld, 8804 S. Desert, Anthony, Texas. Gates open at 7 a.m.; rides open at 8 a.m.
# Sunday: Rev Theory (6 p.m.), Burn Halo (5 p.m.), 11-11 (4 p.m.), Full Bloom (3 p.m.), Suicide Romance (2 p.m.), Los Roqueros (1 p.m.) and Gideon (noon).
# Monday: Hoobastank (6 p.m.), Sweetest Downfall (5 p.m.), Fully Blown (4 p.m.), Bash (3 p.m.), Grip (2 p.m.), Aerial (1 p.m.) and Slick Reynolds (noon).
# How much: $25 at the door (includes concert and one-day ride ticket); $49.95 festival pass (includes all concerts and Wet 'N' Wild season pass).
Champagne fest
# What: El Paso Champagne Festival, with champagne tastings, food and music.
# When: 4 p.m.-midnight Sunday, 2-10 p.m. Monday.
# Where: Grace Gardens, 6701 Westside Drive.
# How much: $7 in advance at 7-Eleven/ Fina stores in the El Paso area and Pic Quick stores in Southern New Mexico; $10 at the door. Admission includes a champagne glass and one full champagne-glass tasting. Food and other drinks also will be sold.

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Police search for hot air balloon

POLICE have carried out a search following reports of a low flying hot air balloon in Stafford.

Residents in Queensville became concerned after seeing the aircraft flying over their homes last night.

Officers were continuing to conduct an "extensive search" of the area this morning, but so far no evidence of any incident has been found.

A spokesman for Staffordshire Police said: "At 10.20pm Staffordshire Police received reports from local people of an alleged incident involving a hot air balloon in the Queensville area of Stafford.

"Officers, along with partner agencies, carried out an extensive ground and air area search, and they are continuing to do so this morning.
Click here for more

"At this stage, no incident appears to have occurred in the area."

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Annual balloon festival kicks off in northwest Ga.

MENLO, Ga. -- Thrill seekers may find just what they're looking for this weekend at the annual Northwest Georgia Balloon Festival in Menlo.

The three-day festival kicks off Friday and runs through Sunday. Brave visitors can take a ride in a tethered hot air balloon. Those who prefer to keep their feet on the ground can watch an air show of 13 brightly colored, free-floating hot air balloons.

The three-day festival also includes, food, live entertainment, carnival rides, and arts and crafts.

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Halgrimson: Many local ties to cross-Atlantic balloon ventures

On July 26, 1958, U.S. Navy scientists Capt. Malcolm O. Ross and M. Lee Lewis ascended from Crosby, Minn., for a third Strato-Lab research flight. They stayed at an altitude of 82,000 feet for more than 34 hours.

During the flight they gathered scientific and medical data for future manned space flights. They landed on a farm west of Woodworth, N.D., 40 miles northwest of Jamestown.

U.S. stratosphere balloon flights – some manned and others unmanned – in the 1950s and 1960s were the forerunners to manned space flight and the beginning of the exploration of space.

During the 1970s, a number of attempts to cross the Atlantic Ocean in a balloon were made; including one very notable trip by Maxie Anderson, a graduate of the University of North Dakota:

• Free Life – On Sept. 20, 1970, an English balloon pioneer and an American couple attempted a west-to-east crossing and ditched 30 hours later just off Newfoundland. The three crew members died, and no wreckage was found.

• Yankee Zephyr – On Aug. 7, 1973, a single pilot left Bar Harbour, Maine, and the flight was ended by a storm and the pilot rescued.

• Light Heart – On Feb. 18, 1974, an attempt to use the “jet stream” to cross the Atlantic resulted in the pilot’s death when he crashed in the ocean. No wreckage was found.

• Windborne – On Jan. 6, 1975, another attempt was made, but the weather did not cooperate. The pilots’ lives were saved.

• Odyssey – On Aug. 21, 1975, the same man who piloted the Yankee Zephyr tried again but ended up in the ocean two hours later.

• Spirit of ’76 – On June 25, 1976, the Odyssey’s refitted gondola attached to an envelop built by Mark Semich of Semco Balloons, left from Lakehurst, N.J., and went down in a storm 550 miles later. The pilot was rescued by a Russian trawler.

• Silver Fox – On Oct. 5, 1976, an attempt made by Ed Yost broke all of the records set during the previous 18 years but went down in the middle of the ocean 700 miles from Europe when the wind direction changed. He had set a distance record of 2,474 miles. Yost is considered the father of modern hot-air ballooning. He died May 27, 2007, at the age of 87.

• Double Eagle – On Sept. 9, 1977, an attempt by Maxie Anderson and Ben Abruzzo plus two pilots from New Mexico crashed into the sea off Iceland. They had flown for 64 hours and 2,950 miles.

• Eagle – On Oct. 10, 1977, another attempt left from Bar Harbour and crashed 220 miles later in another storm.

• Double Eagle II – The Atlantic Ocean was conquered in 1978 when Ben Abruzzo, Maxie Anderson and Larry Newman, flew 3,120 miles in 137 hours in the Double Eagle II. The crew left from Presque Isle in Maine on Aug. 11 and landed at Evereux, France, about 60 miles northwest of Paris.

In October 1978, Maxie Anderson received the University of North Dakota Alumni Association’s highest award. Anderson was born in Sayre, Okla., and earned a bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering from UND in 1956.

After many ballooning adventures, some of which included his son Kris, Anderson died when he and Don Ida crashed in a Bavarian forest in West Germany on June 27, 1983, while participating in a balloon race. He was 49.

Other ballooning events tied to North Dakota include the April 27, 1981, event that ended when Ben Abruzzo and Japanese restaurateur Rocky Aoki landed their balloon on a Millarton, N.D., farm 13 miles southeast of Jamestown. The flight set a world long-distance record for their balloon of 1,348.1 miles. The flight began in Fountain Valley, Calif., and ended in a North Dakota field.

On Monday, Feb. 11, 1985, Abruzzo and his wife, Patricia, and four friends died in an airplane crash near Albuquerque, N.M. The were on their way to ski in Aspen, Colo.

Part three on local ballooning will appear in two weeks.

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Celebrating the winning history of Indy Speedway

Memorial Day weekend signals the official start of the summer season and causes us to pause and remember the many veterans who have laid down their lives in serving our country. And, as anyone who is a fan of racing knows, it's the weekend of the big 500-mile race at the beloved Indianapolis Motor Speedway, known as "The Brickyard."

This year marks the 100th year of the speedway, with the Indianapolis 500 turning 100 in 2011. The Brickyard also hosts NASCAR's Allstate 400 at the Brickyard and the Red Bull Indianapolis GP MotoGP race.

The original track of crushed rock and tar was the surface on which a motorcycle race first took place on August 14, 1909. Even before the first races, however, the U.S. National Championship for Gas-filled Balloons was the first competitive event held at the IMS.

Spearheaded by Carl Fisher, with the assistance of three partners (Arthur Newby, Frank Wheeler and James Allison), originally the plans were for the IMS to serve as a testing ground for the automobile industry, with occasional racing events featuring the manufacturer's latest models. In 1909, Indianapolis ranked fourth in the country for automobile production and it rose to second four years later.

After season one, it was obvious a more sturdy and substantial track material was needed. In just 63 days, 3.2 million 10-pound street paving bricks from Wabash Valley Clay Company in Veedersburg, Indiana were laid, a surface that would hold up for a quarter-century before some patchwork was done.

In 1910, when attendance at three multi-day races wasn't as large as expected, a decision was made to focus on just one large event in 1911. The Memorial Day crowd at the track had topped 50,000 spectators and became the weekend for the 1911 big event, which would cover 500 miles. The winner would bring in an award of $10,000.

That first race included 40 cars and was won in a time of 6 hours and 42 minutes with an average speed of 74.6 miles per hour. The event was so successful Fisher doubled the purse on what would become an annual race.

The IMS has seen many great moments over its 100-year history.

"There have been so many monumental moments. It's difficult to quantify which is most significant," said Eric Powell, Indianapolis Motor Speedway Media Coordinator.

He's seen a few firsts at the IMS in recent years. One he recalls vividly and considers one of the greatest moments in IMS history was just four years ago.

"In 2005, Danica Patrick led in the 500 and it was the first time a woman had done so," Powers said.

"I've never heard a roar from the crowd like I did at that particular moment."

Powell thinks the IMS holds a special place for so many fans for a variety of reasons.

"There are different things that bring people to the speedway. It depends on personal taste. There are history buffs with a real appreciation of the speedway.

"It's the oldest speedway in the country in terms of racetracks that have continually had racing every year. Also, there's the history of the 500. It's such a glorious event and a lot of well-known things have happened at that event," Powell said.

"In the last 20 years or so, it's become more family friendly and just a great place to bring the kids out for a pretty affordable price. And a lot of people just enjoy racing for the competition, technology and daring aspect of it. Not everyone can get onto a racetrack at 200 miles per hour," he said.

The IMS is a facility steeped in tradition, from the "Yard of Bricks," a row of original bricks left exposed to serve as the start/finish line to the celebratory drinking of milk by the winner, a practice that originated in 1936 after winner Louis Meyer enjoyed a bottle of buttermilk in Victory Lane.

Although the race is a one-day event, the month of May becomes a flurry of activity at IMS. This year's activities began May 1 with a hot-air balloon glow to honor that first competitive balloon event at the site 100 years ago.

Powers said it was such a success that it may return next year. Other centennial events have included wine tasting, live music and fireworks. The days leading up to the race also include qualifying and practicing. Although this year has been different because of the month-long centennial events, it is usually a 4-day event.

"It kind of takes over the race track and the city," Powell said.

Even if you don't plan to be a spectator in the stands at this year's Indy 500, the facility is open 364 days a year to visitors. The Indianapolis Motor Speedway Hall of Fame Museum gives an extensive overview of the IMS with approximately 75 vehicles that have played a part in the history of the magnificent venue.

When not in use, you can purchase a ticket for a track-lap, which is a leisurely ride around the track via tour bus. A popular grounds tour is also available on select dates. The guided tour includes a narrated history of the Racing Capital of the World's past century with a behind the scenes look at spots within the IMS usually only accessible to drivers and officials, such as Victory Podium and the "Yard of Bricks" at the start/finish.

Grounds tours sell out quickly and advance tickets are recommended. FYI: INDIANAPOLISMOTORSPEEDWAY.COM.

Fun Facts about the Indianapolis Motor Speedway
* Ray Harroun won the first Indianapolis 500 driving a racing version of the locally produced Marmon passenger car called the "Wasp." He devised a rod with a mirror attached that was placed on his car for the race and it is believed to be the first rearview mirror ever used on an automobile.
* There are 200 laps in the Indianapolis 500. Each lap around the track is 2.5 miles. The four turns on the oval are banked at exactly 9 degrees.
* The Borg-Warner Trophy, introduced in 1936, is 64 3/4 inches tall and 110 with the base.
* The Indianapolis 500 was put on hold during the world wars. Racing did not take place in 1917 or 1918 or from 1942 -1945.
* There have been three four-time winners of the Indianapolis 500: A.J. Foyt (1961, 1964, 1967 and 1977), Al Unser (1970, 1971, 1978, 1987) and Rick Mears (1979, 1984, 1988, 1991).
* The youngest winner of the Indianapolis 500 was Troy Ruttman, who won the 36th race in 1952 at 22 years old.
* The oldest winner of the race was Al Unser, who was 47 years old when he won the 71st Indy 500 in 1987.
* Janet Guthrie was the first female to race in the Indianapolis 500 in 1977. Four more females have raced since then (Lyn St. James, Sarah Fisher, Danica Patrick and Mika Duno).
* Eight times the race has been won by a rookie driver.
* Five drivers have won back-to-back races: Wilbur Shaw (1939-40), Mauri Rose (1947-48), Bill Vukovich (1953-54), Al Unser (1970-71) and Helio Castroneves (2001-02).
* 1936 was a significant year for the Indy 500. Louis Myer is the first driver to ever become a three-time winner. He is also part of three Brickyard traditions: he was the first winner to be presented with the keys to the Pace Car, it is the first year for the Borg-Warner Trophy and he is photographed drinking buttermilk after the race, which began the tradition of handing milk to the winners.
* At 220 miles per hour, Indy Car Series cars travel slightly more than the length of a football field every second.
* A front tire for the Indy Car Series weighs approximately 18 pounds.
* The draft (or "hole" created by an Indy Car Series car extends 25 feet behind the car.
* Nine different flags with different meanings are used during racing.
* The IMS has a seating capacity of 250,000 permanent seats and is the largest spectator sporting facility in the world.
* In 1929, a golf course was added to the speedway. The current Brickyard Crossing Golf Course sits on the same land outside the oval backstretch and inside the oval's field.
* At the 2008 race, more than 12,000 gallons of Coca-Cola products were consumed, more than 10 tons of fries and enough Indy Dogs that, if laid end-to-end, would circle the track oval more than 2 1/2 times.
* In May 2008, more than 4,000 Firestone tires were used by racing teams.

Highlights of the 100 years of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and the Indy 500 race
* 1911: Inaugural Indianapolis 500 takes place. Forty cars race. Winner is Ray Harroun with a time of 6 hours, 42 minutes at an average speed of 74.602 MPH.
* 1919: Howdy Wilcox becomes first driver to turn a qualifying lap in excess of 100 MPH.
* 1923: Tommy Milton is the first two-time winner of the race.
* 1936: Louis Meyer becomes first three-time race winner.
* 1940: Wilbur Shaw is first driver to win back to back races.
* 1942: World War II puts a halt to the Indianapolis 500 for the next four years.
* 1951: 40-year-old World War II veteran Lee Wallard becomes first to win in less than four hours.
* 1960: Rookie Eddie Sachs is just short of hitting 150 MPH.
* 1965: Scottish driver, Jim Clark, becomes first driver to win in a rear-engined car.
* 1969: Mario Andretti wins Indy 500 after original car was destroyed in practice crash.
* 1977: Janet Guthrie becomes first female to qualify for the race and Gordon Johncock wins the race for fourth time.
* 1984: Tom Sneva breaks five track records and hits the 210 MPH mark.
* 1991: Willy T. Ribbs becomes first African-American driver to qualify.
* 1992: Closest finish ever. Al Unser, Jr. wins by .043 of a second.
* 2005: Danica Patrick becomes first female to lead the race and finishes fourth, the highest ever won by a woman.
* 2007: Two-time Indy 500 winner Helio Castroneves snags another trophy as winner of ABC's Dancing with the Stars.

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Fly in for a day of aviation activities

If you have an interest in small planes, seeing a spectacular parachute jump or taking a hot-air balloon ride, then Sunday's 34th annual Breakfast Fly-In at Lancaster Airport is for you.

The all-day event, which is open to everyone, is scheduled to kick off with a pancake breakfast from 8 to 11 a.m. It will be held at the Liberty Sport Aviation hangar next to the Airways hangar at Lancaster Airport.

The fly-in is organized by the Lancaster chapter of the Experimental Aircraft Association, an international flying club with almost 200,000 members. The "experimental" in the group's name refers to the many EAA members who've built their own planes.

Jack Henderson, president of the Lancaster EAA group, is in charge of the day's activities. In a recent telephone interview, he said the fly-in is designed to be fun for the whole family.

"Last year more than 900 people bought a pancake breakfast, while 30 planes flew in from all over the mid-Atlantic," he said.

Henderson said special attractions this year include free "Young Eagles" airplane rides for youths 8 to 17. Brownstown parachutist Steve Lapp will perform a daredevil exhibition jump at 10 a.m. There also will be helicopter and tethered balloon rides.

Henderson is a flying enthusiast and part-owner of four aircraft. He also has his own home-built plane. Such planes are becoming more sophisticated, he said, incorporating the latest technology from all over the world.

He said a new member of his EAA chapter has a four-passenger experimental aircraft that was fabricated in Ecuador, assembled in Florida and boasts a computerized glass control panel that replaces all the traditional round steam gauges for such readings as fuel flow, cylinder head temperature, air and ground speed and GPS.

"The leading edge of technology is in the experimental aircraft," Henderson said.

Henderson said part of the fly-in's attraction is getting to see so many small planes up close, including the increasingly popular light sport aircraft.

There also will be a number of show planes present. Cape Air — Lancaster's new commuter airline to Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport — will have one of its commercial craft on display, and the Mid-Atlantic Air Museum in Reading plans to fly over a World War II vintage plane.

Admission to the fly-in is free. The only charges for the day's activities are $6 for the pancake breakfast and fees for helicopter and balloon rides. If it rains Sunday, the event will be held Monday.

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Hot Air Ballooning Co Raises Funds From Rajasthan Venture Capital

Sky Waltz claims to be the first ever brand in India to have received a hot air ballooning license.

E-Factor Adventure Tourism Pvt. Ltd, a subsidiary of the celebrity wedding planner and management company E-Factor Entertainment, has raised undisclosed amount of funding from Rajasthan Venture Capital Fund (RVCF) for a 13% stake in its second round of funding. The funds have been raised for its hot air ballooning business, Sky Waltz.
Pune-based RCS Advisors India Pvt. Ltd. acted as the advisors to the deal.

Sky Waltz claims to be the first ever brand in India to have received a hot air ballooning license. The two year old company is into the business of hot air balloon rides. It raised its first round of funding about a year back from an undisclosed investment banker for a 3% stake in the company. The company has, hence diluted a total of 16% stake since its inception.
The proceeds of the stake sale will be used for the brand promotion of Sky Waltz and towards the working capital. Part of the raised funds will also be used for the expansion of operations in other locations. Currently, Sky Walts has operations in three locations – Jaipur, Ranthambore and Gurgaon.

Business Model
The company targets high end travellers and international tourists. It derives revenues from the sale of tickets for the rides. Each ride, which about an hour long, costs Rs 8,000 - Rs 10,000 per person. Each balloon has a capacity of carrying about 8-10 persons at a time. The company currently has six balloons across three locations. In terms of location, Jaipur happens to contribute to the bulk of the company’s revenues.

The company also makes money by conducting special events and promotions for corporate team building events and by holding events on special occasions and festivals. Sky waltz is also planning to explore the advertising revenue stream by using the balloons as hoardings for advertisements.

Owing to its dependency on tourism, the business is a seasonal one. In a year, the company has about 7-8 business months. Monsoons and the extreme summer seasons are the ‘no-business’ months for the company. The Sky waltz team currently comprises of 50 people across its all three locations It also plans to soon foray into allied business like theme rides, stay arrangements as well as package tours.

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World Youth Day’s Lasting Impact

ROME, MAY 17, 2009 (Zenit.org).- Seven out of 10 young people who attended World Youth Day in Sydney last year rated it as one of the best experiences in their life. This was one of the findings of a survey carried out to measure the impact of the event.

The “Pilgrims' Progress 2008 research project” is led by Father Michael Mason and Professor Ruth Webber from Australian Catholic University, and Dr Andrew Singleton from Monash University.

On May 4 they released their preliminary findings. The study was based on interviews, personal observation of the participants, and two large-scale Internet surveys of pilgrims: one before and the other after World Youth Day.

The findings of the preliminary report concentrate on Australian pilgrims only. For 93% of them it was their first experience of going along to a World Youth Day. Almost half of the local participants were in the 14-18 age bracket. World Youth Day attracted more young women than men and that is reflected in the study, in that 68% of respondents were female

Some of the highlights of the findings were the following.

-- More than 40% said their faith in God had been strengthened.

-- A third or more stated that they were now not embarrassed to let others see that they believed; that they wanted to live as disciples of Jesus; that they wanted to learn more about their faith.

-- Asked what they found most fun, pilgrims chose being part of the huge, happy crowd walking together through the streets, and making new friends.

-- Over half of the respondents said that they were determined to change their behavior towards others - to be more considerate, more “Christ-like.”

-- Significant proportions reported changed attitudes and behavior on a range of social-ethical issues.

Superficial or spiritual?

Critics of World Youth Days, both within and outside of the Church, have frequently questioned the spiritual value of the events. So one of the aims of the survey was to determine if it’s just an enjoyable spectacle or whether it does make a significant spiritual impact.

Contrary to the somewhat feverish speculation in some of the local secular media prior to last July the pre-event survey showed that pilgrims did not see World Youth Day as an opportunity for romantic encounters. The option of “Perhaps meeting someone I really like,” was the lowest priority for all of the age groups.

Instead their highest priorities were listed as: seeing the Pope; wanting to experience the presence of God; and to feel ‘part of a large crowd united by shared beliefs.

Generally, the older pilgrims were somewhat more interested in the devotional and religious aspects: the Masses, catecheses, and prayer services. The youngest group were more attracted to the youthful aspects of the event: making new friends, feeling the “buzz,” and sharing their faith with other young people.

Nevertheless, even among the teens, the options of “experiencing the presence of God,” and “seeing the Pope,” also ranked highly. Only a minority of the youthful Australian pilgrims went hoping simply to have a good time.

The answers also depended on the existing level of religious practice. Those who did not regularly attend Mass were more likely to give a higher priority to the social aspect of the event, while those who were regulars at Mass indicated they were more interested in the spiritual activities.

The top three benefits hoped for by those surveyed prior to the event were: living what you believe (85%); a closer relationship with God (81%); and a stronger sense of Catholic identity (78%). There was very little variation by age: these were the top three priorities for pilgrims of all ages.

Spiritual help

Turning to the post-event survey the study found that regarding the spiritual benefits most of the respondents said that what was most helpful was the experience of being with so many people who shared the same faith

This sharing of the faith corresponded to what the majority of pilgrims had said before World Youth Day, and their hopes were fulfilled - they found the experience powerful and significant.

In the personal interviews pilgrims explained that it was very important to them to be part of a big crowd of people around their age who were expressing their faith. They said that in their experience, it was mostly older people who took faith seriously. Young people, by contras, even if they were Catholic, were not interested in religion, or inclined to make fun of it.

They were also used to keeping their faith discreetly private. Normally only close friends would know if they continued to believe, attend Mass, or take part in other religious groups or activities.

In fact, a year 11 student in a Catholic school said in an interview that “it’s social suicide” to be active and speak out in religion classes.

Pride

Other benefits singled out by pilgrims included the sense of Church and pride in being a Catholic also rated highly. Many pilgrims also mentioned the sense that God was present in the large gathering of people sharing and the feeling that World Youth Day brought out the best in everyone.

Another highly-rated option was that of feeling themselves part of a community that transcended them in space and time and fused them into a unity with others and with God.

In terms of the events pilgrims singled out the Vigil, the Mass with Pope Benedict and the Stations of the Cross as occasions of strong experiences of the presence of God, and also as most spiritually helpful.

The morning catecheses also received a favorable response and according to the survey it seems that the catecheses played a more important role at the Sydney event than at previous World Youth Days.

Only a small proportion (10%) of pilgrims rated the catecheses “not so helpful.”

The report commented that during the event in Sydney even casual observers were struck by the infectious joy, friendliness, and enthusiasm the pilgrims. But, it noted this positive atmosphere was founded on a deeper level the experience of communing with others who shared the same faith, and the experience of the presence of God.

In conformity with the pre-event survey the social side of World Youth Day was not considered very important among those who replied to the post-event study. Making new friends was often mentioned, but all of the social aspects, including the beauty of the sites and the good weather were rated well below the spiritual benefits.

Following-up

The survey participants were also asked about what activities they felt would be most beneficial as a follow-up to World Youth Day. Over half of them chose first the option of retreats or camps for people who want to grow in faith.

There was also strong support for regularly getting together with their fellow pilgrims, for more youth-oriented Masses, and high-quality teaching of the Catholic faith.

Over half of the group was very keen to attend the 2011 World Youth Day in Madrid.

“There is clear evidence that many pilgrims have changed the ways in which they think about and respond to others, and that they attribute the changes to their participation in World Youth Day,” the study concluded. A finding that should lay to rest the doubts about the benefits of such an event, and spur efforts to give continuity at a local level so that young people will continue to be confirmed in their faith.

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Get a Group-Gift for Mom this Mother’s Day- Like a Hot Air Balloon Flight Over Michigan

With the economy in turmoil and families tightening up the purse strings for non-essentials, there’s one essential gift that must be made and that’s to mom on Mother’s Day. Rather than give mom a lot of little gifts there’s an emerging trend to pool resources for a big group-gift.

Plymouth, MI – That’s why many families are collecting contributions from family members for a “group gift” or “experience gift” that mom will remember forever.

According to Ryan Howell, assistant professor of psychology at San Francisco State University, "When people spend money on life experiences, whether they also take someone with them or buy an extra ticket or whatever, most of
our life experiences involve other individuals. Experiences, continue to provide happiness through memories long after the event occurred.”

Another reason for increased happiness in experiences, the researchers found, was that people felt a greater sense of vitality or "being alive" during the experience and in reflection, Howell said. "As nice as your new computer is, it's not going to make you feel alive," he said.

Thankfully there’s a solution offered by Westwind Balloon Company which has been providing memories for their hot air balloon passengers since 1981.

“In the end all we have are memories and the balloon ride provides a vivid and lasting memory,” Scott Lorenz, President and Chief Pilot of Westwind Balloon Company of Plymouth, Michigan.

“The cool thing about a hot air balloon flight is that it’s a group gift that an entire family can enjoy too. Mom and dad can take the flight and the kids and grandkids can participate as well. They can help out during inflation of the balloon, then they can chase it as it flies across the countryside. Everybody that gave the gift can be there at the landing and have a little champagne toast at the end of the flight. Balloon flights have been very popular for years because they really are the ultimate in experience gifts. With the economy in flux the group gift idea makes even more sense than ever,” says Lorenz.

Lorenz says nobody forgets their first balloon flight because it’s an experience that cannot compare to anything else. The sensation of flying over trees, lakes and streams, spotting deer and other wildlife is unique and inspiring. “When a gift touches someone both emotionally and on a multi-sensory level they never forget it. “
The balloon flight costs $695 for two people. Gift certificates for flights in the area over Kensington Park in Milford, Michigan can be purchased by calling 734-667-2098 or by visiting www.westwindcos.com/balloon/ or via email at: scottlorenz@westwindcos.com. Multiple checks from various family members including payments via AMEX, Visa, MasterCard and Discover Card are accepted. Flights are scheduled May through October.

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Taking flight: Prestigious Northwest balloon festival lifts off May 8-10 above Walla Walla

WALLA WALLA -- The second weekend in May brings bright colors to the Walla Walla Valley. But it's not blooms but balloons in fanciful shapes and Crayola colors coloring the landscape.

Forty balloons will be at the Walla Walla Hot Air Balloon Stampede on May 8-10 at the Walla Walla County Fairgrounds.

The stampede is the Pacific Northwest's most prestigious hot air balloon rally of the season. It features sunrise launches daily, a classic car show and a Saturday Nite Glow Show plus lots of hand-on activities for youngsters.

Hours are 3 to 9 p.m. May 8, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. May 9 and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. May 10. With the exception of a few events, like the champagne reception May 9, most activities are free.

Weather permitting, the balloons will launch daily at 6:30 a.m. On May 8 the balloons have been assigned launching sites -- school grounds -- scattered throughout the city.

"There will be a balloon at nearly every public grade school in town," said Rikki Salyer of the Walla Walla Valley Chamber of Commerce.

To see a list of the schools, go to www.wwvchamber.com, scroll down to "For a complete list of events" and click to get a copy of the brochure. For help in finding the schools either call the chamber, 509-525-0850, or go to www.wwps.org.

On May 9-10 the balloons will launch from the fairgrounds and Garrison Middle School. After each launch on May 9-10 a pancake breakfast will be served until 10 a.m. Cost is $5.

There will be an arts and crafts fair and sale, more than 70 retail vendors all three days.

The main state at the fairgrounds will feature live entertainment each day.

Other events happening May 8 include a golf tournament at 9 a.m. and a champagne reception from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the Community Building on the fairgrounds. Cost for the reception is $25 per person at the door. Or call the Walla Walla Valley Chamber of Commerce and buy advance tickets for $20, 509-525-0850.

Meet the pilots and see the balloons from noon to 4 p.m. May 9. The balloons will be inflated (weather permitting) and tethered on the grounds of Garrison Middle School.

Saturday evening is the Nite Glow Show. Ten inflated balloons will be tethered in the arena and as night falls they'll be lit from inside by flames from the burners.

"It's a beautiful sight. They glow in rainbow colors against the night sky," said Salyer.

Nite Glow starts with a concert at 7 p.m. at the fairgrounds grandstand and finishes with fireworks. For more information, or to sign up for the various tournaments, call the Walla Walla Valley Chamber of Commerce, 509-525-0850 or go to www.wwvchamber.com.

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Hot air balloon celebrates "Wizard of Oz"

(KSHB Video) A hot air balloon floating over the metro area early Monday morning celebrates the 70th anniversary of the movie, "Wizard of Oz." (May 11, 2009)

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Sponsored balloon ride in memory of relatives

TWO pensioners from Wootton Bassett are taking to the skies in memory of late relatives.
Frank Ashton, 87, and 81-year-old Maureen Best have organised a sponsored hot air balloon flight to raise money for Prospect Hospice.
The flight will take place on May 2, just a few days before what would have been the 61st birthday of Maureen’s daughter Ann, who lost her battle with cancer last year. Frank also lost his second wife, Mary, to the disease in 2006.
The pair met at a Christmas event at which they were the only two people able to ballroom dance, and their friendship has grown from there, aided by their shared interest in fundraising.
Frank said: “My aim is to raise as much money as possible for the hospice.”

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QUICK CHEK NEW JERSEY FESTIVAL OF BALLOONING AND AT&T

READINGTON, NJ --- Continuing to move onward and upward, the Quick Chek New Jersey Festival of Ballooning has announced the renewal of its marketing partnership with AT&T for the upcoming 2009 festival.

Morristown, NJ-based AT&T joins title sponsor Quick Chek stores and PNC Bank as the third major corporate sponsor to renew for the July 24-25-26 event, the largest summertime hot air balloon and music festival in North America. With 175,000 attendees, worldwide media coverage, and an average family stay of 7½ hours, selling points for sponsors to showcase programs and introduce new consumer products are attractive and numerous.

“We are very happy that AT&T has once again chosen the Festival to promote its line of high quality products and services,” said Festival Executive Producer Howard Freeman. “They have been a great partner the past five years in all aspects of what we’re about: family entertainment, ballooning, and community service. They are a great example of leveraging their sponsorship as they continue to bring fun and exciting products and activities to the Festival.”

New to this year’s Festival is the AT&T Technology Tailgate Tour. This mobile tour features a 53-foot-long tractor trailer that expands into a high-tech interactive playland and invites guest to interact with AT&T’s high speed Internet, mobility products, DIRECTV satellite and photo marketing tools. The tour is equipped with 13 plasma TVs, 17 touchscreen monitors, 23 LCD monitors, 15 wireless devices, laptop computers, computer terminals, wireless gaming and more! Festival attendees will have the opportunities to win instant prizes by answering questions at touchscreen trivia stations inside the trailer. It will also provide added incentive for consumers to interact with the products and services on display inside the tour truck.

“We’re proud this year once again to be a sponsor of a great summer time family event in New Jersey,” said Tom DeVito, Vice President and General Manager for AT&T in New Jersey and New York. “We hope attendees stop by the AT&T Technology Tailgate Tour to test out some cool wireless products and drop off their unwanted cell phones for our annual Cell Phones for Soldiers recycling drive.”

Keeping with the Festival’s belief of “doing well by doing good,” AT&T will have a Cell Phone for Soldiers collection bin to accept unwanted cell phones for recycling. The proceeds from the recycled wireless devices will be used to purchase pre-paid phone cards for U.S. Military stationed overseas. AT&T and the Festival are inviting Festival attendees to help provide every military member stationed in Iraq the ability to make a free 20-minute phone call home. With the help of thousands of wireless customers across the country, AT&T and the charity have recycled more than 2.5 million wireless devices since Earth Day 2008, beating their Earth Day 2009 goal by more than 700,000 phones.

AT&T will also sponsor one of the Festival’s “Hare and Hound” competitions in which their corporate-logoed 75-foot-tall hot air balloon will serve as the lead balloon during one of the Festival’s mass hot air balloon ascensions. Wherever the AT&T balloon lands, its pilot will place a giant “X” on the ground. The remaining 100 or so balloons will then try and “chase” the AT&T balloon and drop a marker as close to the “X” as possible.

And if a flying hot air balloon doesn’t attract enough attention, AT&T will also gain visibility with signage throughout the Festival’s on-site parking lots.

“We provide numerous platforms and opportunities for any company or organization to rise above the clutter in every sense of the word,” said Freeman. “Together we can excite and engage consumers in unique ways that allows a sponsor to earn a positive return on their investment.”

The 27th annual Quick Chek New Jersey Festival of Ballooning in Association with PNC Bank features the awe-inspiring spectacle of up to 125 giant hot air balloons taking to the skies five times throughout the weekend. Three days of affordable family entertainment includes a fireworks extravaganza, a nighttime hot air balloon glow, live musical performances from Grammy award winning artists and the latest teen sensations, children’s entertainment, interactive exhibits by leading brands such as AT&T, the NBA and NASA, as well as providing selling and sampling opportunities for hundreds of arts and crafters and vendors.

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Balloons coming to Jackson County Airport in July

Hot air balloons will once again soar over the skies of Jackson when the Hot Air Jubilee returns from hiatus to the Jackson County Airport on July 17 to 19. And thanks to a $14,500 donation from AT&T, 2,000 children will be admitted free to Kids' Night on July 17.

This year's jubilee will feature balloon launches, an arts and crafts show, car show, stunt kite demonstrations, children's carnival rides, radio-controlled airplanes and cars, static aircraft displays, antique military displays and live entertainment.

Free Kids' Night admission wristbands will be available to children 12 and younger with a presale adult wristband.

Wristbands are $8 for adults and $3 for children 6 to 12 in advance. They can be purchased at the event at a cost of $10 for adults and $5 for children 6 to 12.

Children younger than 6 will be admitted free.

For more details, call 782-1515 or visit www.hotairjubilee.com.

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Thurston Classic will lift off this year

With just over six weeks to go before the Thurston Classic Hot Air Balloon Event lifts off, members of the event’s organizing committee are flying high.

“We can do it,” Joyce Stevens, one of the key organizers, said during a recent interview. “We have no extra — but we’re able to cover what we must cover in order to do it.”

There was a time in the not-too-distant past when funds were tight. Very tight. So tight, in fact, that members of the committee were concerned about the very future of the annual event that has filled the skies of Crawford County with hot air balloons on Father’s Day weekend for so long that babes who attended the first liftoff in the arms of their parents have reached legal drinking age.

When a plea went out for help in late January, the community responded with an outpouring of support that will allow 26 balloons to soar above the area’s rolling hills and vales.

That, according to Stevens, represents a small cutback in the number of pilots — but not enough to make a noticeable difference. During each of the past few years, for example, approximately 30 pilots have participated. “We’ve gone as high as 38,” she added with a chuckle, “but that was when we were younger.”

In another cost-cutting move, the Thursday Night Glow that traditionally kicks off the weekend extravaganza will return to its traditional roots.

During the glow, balloons remain tethered to the ground as their pilots ignite the propane burners used to heat the air inside the balloons during flight to illuminate the massive, reinforced nylon balloon envelopes from the inside. The average balloon is approximately 55 feet in diameter and towers about seven stories off the ground. This year’s glow is expected to feature eight to 10 balloons, the maximum number the field can accommodate.

In recent years, pilots have synchronized each balloon’s glow to music, thanks to the talents of a group from Canton, Ohio, that specializes in such things. This time around, committee chairman Ted Watts will narrate.

The committee is also doing some trimming in areas the public won’t see, such as cutting back on some of the meals served to participants and also on pilot gifts.

“We don’t think anything we’ve done will compromise the event,” Stevens said. “People contributed early — that was helpful.”

The 2009 Thurston Classic will begin at 9 p.m. on June 18 with a Night Glow and continue on June 19 and 20 at 6 p.m. and June 20 and 21 at 7 a.m.

All scheduled events take place at Allegheny College’s Robertson Athletic Complex on upper Park Avenue. Public transportation and free parking will be available. A light breakfast will be available during morning flyovers, and food and drinks will be available during evening liftoffs.

You can help

n To volunteer to help during the Classic, call Stevens at 336-4000 during business hours.

n Donations are always appreciated. Checks payable to Thurston Classic Corp. should be mailed to Watts & Pepicelli P.C., 916 Diamond Park, Meadville, Pa. 16335. The glow and all liftoffs and flyovers are free and open to the public, so figure out what a night at the movies, concert or theater performance would cost your family, add in the cost of theater snacks — and, of course, lots of fuel, parking and maybe an overnight stay, since you would probably have to travel long distances to find a comparably world-class event — and drop your check in the mail.

n Start saving now to purchase lots of official souvenirs immediately before and during the event. Commemorative pins, hats and an assortment of shirts are usually available beforehand at the historic Meadville Market House in downtown Meadville and always available throughout the event itself at Robertson Athletic Complex. The sale of official souvenirs and donations collected throughout the event provide a major source of funding for the committee.

Learn more

For information about the Thurston Classic, including the glorious history of ballooning in Crawford County, a complete schedule of 2009 events and photos of all the participating balloons, visit www.thurstonclassic.com.

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British tourists tell of their terror in hot air balloon crash

British tourists have described their terror as the hot air balloon they were flying in ploughed into a mobile phone mast ripping through the fabric.

The Egyptian Government has grounded all balloon flights over Luxor until a safety investigation is complete

Instead of floating serenely above the ancient temples of Luxor, in Egypt, the balloon careered out of control and into the mast, before crashing some 30 feet to the ground.

The balloon hit power-lines as it plunged downwards, sending sparks in all directions. Once it hit the floor, the balloon was blown along the ground, spilling passengers out of the basket as it went. Sixteen tourists were injured, some of them seriously, as they were thrown, or they scrambled, from the wreckage

Caroline Williams, from Horsham in West Sussex, and who fractured her spine in the crash, said she had sensed something was wrong almost as soon as the balloon, which was carrying 26 people, took off at dawn.

“The pilot looked agitated and angry, and he was shouting at people. I strongly felt I wanted to get out of the basket,” she said, wincing and letting out a gasp, before describing what happened next.

“The balloon was sort of bumping around and the basket was tipping. I really felt it was dangerous situation. I saw the mast and next thing there was a ripping noise. I looked up and there was a tear in the balloon. We hit the ground with this mighty crash.”

Mrs Williams, who works helping children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), crawled out of the basket, but when she tried to stand she felt the pain in her back. “The thing was, nobody came,” she said. “The pilot sort of wandered around. All these men came and just packed up the balloon, and people were still lying all around.”

When help did arrive, the tourists were taken to a local hospital in Luxor. They were later transferred to Nassir Institute Hospital in Cairo.

Linda Lea, 63, an alternative therapy teacher from Staffordshire, was the most seriously injured of the tourists. Mrs Lea, who was one of those caught up in the wreckage, fractured her spine and broke a collarbone, three ribs and both the main bones in her shin, which ripped through her skin.

She then lay in a cornfield for about an hour waiting for help, yet this was only the beginning of an ordeal that, it is claimed, was to put her life at risk.

According to relatives and friends, local medical staff failed to diagnose her spine and rib injuries for several days in hospital and also left the open leg wound to fester. Her daughter, Debbie, said cleaning staff had even “wrestled” with her mother, causing her severe pain, as they attempted to move her in a sheet for a scan.

Ultimately, the poor quality of treatment resulted in the decision to fly her under general anaesthetic to an intensive care unit in Britain on Friday.

Speaking from Luxor, Miss Lea, 28, a postgraduate history student in Liverpool, said: “You see the advert with two people in a balloon floating through the skies in Egypt. She [her mother] always wanted to come here and she was looking forward to it. It was one of those things she’s always wanted to do.

“They were doing the balloon trip to see the sun rise over Luxor, but there was a gust of wind as it took off and basically it collided with a mobile phone mast. My mum actually said that the one sight she’ll never forget is of this spike coming through the balloon.

“The balloon plummeted to the ground and it was then dragged along. People fell out and, in my mum’s case, she was dragged along the ground.”

Mrs Lea, who suffered an asthma attack after the accident, was among those taken to Luxor’s airport after the accident to make the trip home, but was turned back by doctors who decided she was not fit to travel. She was taken back to hospital in Egypt, where her daughter said she had been “in a great deal of pain all week”.

“The most significant injury is a compound fracture of her tibia and fibia, but that wound was not treated correctly. It was left exposed for six days. So by the time they came to operate on it, the wound wasn’t in a fit state to do the operation they should have done, which was to plate it,” Miss Lea said.

“When the surgeons got here the wound wasn’t completely cleaned, so instead of putting the rods in they had to clean the wound and set in a plaster cast. The injuries my mother has are dreadful, they really are. I’m amazed she got away... not lightly, but as she did. I was absolutely horrified when I saw the care she’d been receiving.”

Police questioned the pilot after the accident on 25 April and, three days later, the Egyptian Government grounded all balloon flights over Luxor until the investigation was completed and a committee assessed the safety of the 73 balloons that fly over the ancient city.

Magic Horizons, the company that owned the balloon, was unavailable for comment last week, but the pilot was defended by other balloonists. “He did his best,” said Mohammed Mahmoud, a pilot who said he was about 30 yards away when the accident happened. “There was a strong wind all of a sudden, like a storm and the balloon barely hit the tower [mobile mast].”

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Low-flying hot air balloon causes scare

Worried residents in Melksham called police this morning after a low-flying hot air balloon caused a panic.

People living in Avon Road made the emergency calls at around 8.15am when the balloon started losing height as it prepared to land.

However, the balloon landed in a nearby field and police said after speaking to the pilot they were satisfied that the incident had been part of a controlled descent and there had been no need for panic.

Acting Sergeant Julie Mason said: "We are very thankful for the calls from members of the public, however in this case it was down to public perception and there was no damage caused and no collision with any homes."

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Quantum: hot air balloon or just a basket case?

Debt and tape ballast weighing it down


Quantum made a sizeable loss last year, and faces trouble in its efforts to return to the black. The financial promise of its DXi deduplication technology isn't enough to overcome the dead weight of its debt liabilities and tape ballast. A return to profitability could happen in the next few months, though, with Dell lending a hand.

Tape and disk protection vendor Quantum's situation is laid bare in its 2009 fourth quarter (Q4) and full year results. Q4 fiscal 2009 saw revenues of $168m, 27 per cent less than the year-ago quarter (Q4fy08: ) with a net loss of $10m (-$0.04/share), revenues being considerably worse than Wall Street estimates.

Full fy09 revenues were $809m, 17 per cent less than fy08, with a large net loss of $356m (-$1.70/share)

Its gross margin rates were 37.5 per cent for Q4fy09 and 37 per cent for the full year, its highest for eight years. The company has been migrating to tape products with higher margins and lower volume, but sales of these has not raised its profits overall and overall sales revenues declined from this strategy as well as from the recession.
Delayed profitability, debt and bailout

In a multi-year effort, Quantum is being transitioned from a tape technology and systems vendor to having a storage systems business model under CEO Rick Belluzzo, meaning it is entering the disk-based protection and deduplication market with its DXi product range. This technology came to Quantum with its acquisition of tape library vendor ADIC. Since then, the rise of disk-based protection, virtual tape libraries and so forth, has caused tape product-based revenues to decline.

Disk system revenues are rising at Quantum, up 93 per cent in Q4 fy09 compared to the prior year's quarter. It's still not fast enough to offset the fall in tape product revenues. Belluzzo has only been able to keep investors happy by promising jam, mucho jam, tomorrow. Naturally the recession has put off profitability, delaying the promised jam-rich tomorrow and causing Quantum to take advantage of EMC help to deal with part of its debt mountain and help ensure DXi technology developments.

We should expect enhancements to its deduplication software as well as a new DXi hardware platform during the next twelve months.

Quantum generated enough cash in the quarter to pay off $92m of its senior debt in fy09, 27 per cent of the outstanding balance at the end of fy08. Even so, it needed EMC cash to cover separate debt liabilities and continue developing its technologies. EMC licences the DXi deduplication technology and Dell is also intending to sell products using it. The EMC deal is now delivering revenue to Quantum but the timing of Dell's DXi product offer is not known and Quantum has to grit its teeth in patience waiting for the Dell cash delivery to start.

It's that cash delivery, along with hopes of a shallower than feared recession, that will enable Quantum to turn the corner and start making profits. But it's finely balanced: tape revenues are consistently heading south with no change of direction in sight. Data Domain is still leading the deduplication market with a new quad-core, quad-socket hardware platform expected in the third quarter of this year.

Dell cash and good execution of technology development is needed to increase the heat of the DXi burner, and enable the debt and tape ballast holding Quantum back to be counterbalanced, enabling Belluzzo to return Quantum to profitability. If this doesn't happen in 2010 then questions, serious questions, might start being asked about Quantum's direction.

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Siouxland Man Goes for the Ride of His Life

A former South Sioux City police officer gets the ride of his life, at least so far. Roger Johansen says his kids have been taking him on wild birthday adventures for years and this time they decided to take it to new heights. They treated him to an hour-long hot air balloon ride Friday to celebrate his 65th birthday. After white-water rafting and plane rides in the past, they wanted to make this year special. Johansen took one of his grandkids with him on the flight that took off from Jackson, Nebraska.

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Skydiving from a hot air balloon a whole different experience

Bill Collins stood on the edge of a hot air balloon basket, looked down from 5,000 feet above ground and jumped.

"It's the closest you get to flying," said the 47-year-old from Murrieta. "You feel a chill on your face. It's very quiet. It's just beautiful."

Collins is one of many skydivers who travel to Perris to jump from hot air balloons. Companies that offer hot air balloon dives are not connected to Perris Valley Skydive at the Perris Valley Airport, but balloons usually launch from the open fields near the airport.

"It's the perfect place for it," said Dawn Chapton, 35, of Murrieta, who coordinates the dives. "The wind is calm. The weather is warm. There aren't any tall buildings."

Chapton said Perris is the only place she knows of in Southern California that offers hot air balloon dives. Skydivers come from all over the world and range from 19 to 65 years old.

Each hot air balloon dive costs about $75. Skydiving from an airplane is about $25.

Those who dive from hot air balloons said it's a completely different experience than jumping from an airplane.

Bill Collins, 47, of Murrietta, says, "It's the closest you get to flying. You feel a chill on your face. It's very quiet. It's just beautiful."

"It's much more difficult," said Paul Somerset, 48, of San Diego. "There's not that much air pressure, so it's harder to control your body."

Divers feel less air pressure because unlike a plane, a balloon doesn't have much velocity. Hot air balloon diving is also much quieter, without the background noise of an airplane engine.

On a recent Thursday, divers gathered on an open field by the Perris Valley Airport at the crack of dawn -- when the wind is calmest. Divers donned sunglasses, helmets and parachutes. The balloon slowly puffed up in the morning sun as its pilot heated the air inside.

Once launched, it took about five minutes for the balloon to rise to about 5,000 feet. Divers jumped out of the baskets one by one, waited about 10 seconds, opened up their parachutes and drifted like dandelions in the wind.

Collins, who owns a physical therapy business in Murrieta, said he skydives whenever he has time.

"It's a great way to start your day," he said after he landed. "Can't wait to do it again."

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Christchurch: Facts and figures

The Indian cricket team takes on New Zealand in a Twenty20 international, the first match of the team's 47-day tour, at Christchurch on Wednesday, February 25. The garden city will also stage the third ODI of the five-match series on March 8.
If you are there for the action, make sure you also enjoy all that the city has to offer besides the cricket.
Christchurch's landscape is impossible to ignore. Big scenery is the order of the day -- huge panoramas of ocean or mountains, great sweeps of pastureland and massive amounts of sky. Like the rest of New Zealand, it is a city of contrasts with unrivalled natural and architectural beauty -- 19th century buildings, majestic trees, extensive gardens, interesting bridges and meandering paths all providing a striking backdrop for the vibrant scene of ever-changing arts, cultural and heritage activities.

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World’s Tallest Hot Air Ballon To Be Featured At Menlo Festival

The second annual Northwest Georgia Balloon Festival set for May 15-17 at Tillotson Field on Georgia State Highway 48 in Menlo will feature the world’s tallest hot air ballon and 12 others flying fives times during the weekend.

The Engerizer Bunny is 166 feet tall when inflated and her ears alone are 60 feet high. Her blue flip-flops are size 98 EEEEE and she weighs 1,170 pounds. Her drum is 45 feet in diameter and 20 feet wide and powder puff tail is 20 feet in diameter.

“The Energizer Bunny adds a different wow factor to the festival. She is huge and very pink. The Bunny makes my balloon, the Purple People Eater, look small! Seeing her is something you will not forget. We’re excited to have her joining us,” said John Cavin, Menlo native and festival ballon master.

There are five different flights scheduled this year. If the weather cooperates, balloons will fly at 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. The first flight is planned for 6 p.m. Friday.

Organizer Gail Wilbanks warns that weather free of rain or storms doesn’t mean it’s balloon weather. Because the massive balloons have limited means to steer, the winds high off the ground must be at their calmest. This occurs just after sunrise and just before dusk.

The festival will also feature a full carnival with rides, food, live music and more than 70 craft vendors.

“That’s just how many we have right now. They’re still coming in,” said Wilbanks.

She also said those in attendance will have the chance to ride in a teetered ballon, as well as walk into the canopy of an inflated ballon to get a feel for the size of it. A ballon will be inflated on the ground with cooler air so that it doesn’t fly away.

Cavin’s world famous Purple People Eater ballon will be featured again this year. The bug-eyed, big-eared, six-armed ballon is a fan favorite.

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British tourists hospitalised after hot-air balloon crash

Two British tourists were in hospital last night after the hot-air balloon they were in crashed.

Caroline Williams and Linda Lea were among 16 people injured when the balloon hit a mobile phone mast on the west bank of the River Nile.

They both suffered broken legs and were taken to Luxor International Hospital before being transferred to a hospital in Cairo. The women had been on a flight to watch sunrise over the Valley of the Kings as part of a dream holiday.

A spokesman for Magic Horizon Balloons, which ran the tour, blamed the accident on" very high winds".

A hospital spokesman said:" Fortunately, the balloon was not far off the ground when it fell - the injuries could have been a lot worse."

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Up, up and away A weekend getaway with gas bags filled with hot air

For centuries man has been enamored by the theory of flight. We’ve marveled at this natural ability of birds and other winged creatures and strived to conquer the skies despite our physiological limitations. Over a hundred years after the Wright Brothers first did it in the fields of Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, man is no less fascinated by the wonders of aviation. It is this enthrallment—the excitement and romance associated with flying—that organizers hoped to tap into when they staged the annual Philippine International Hot Air Balloon Fiesta (PIHABF) last weekend.

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Hot Air Balloon Rides and Festivals

Have you ever wanted to take a hot air balloon ride? They're popular places to propose, especially at sunset.

This short video explains what makes a hot air balloon lighter than the surrounding air and also provides a birds-eye view of the trip.

If you're sold on sailing in a beautiful balloon, find out about upcoming hot air balloon festivals scheduled to take place where you live or where you're going.

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