Hot Air Balloon Ride

Fernwood Offers Timber and Balloon Fest Pocono Weekend Packages

2009-10-12T23:22:00.000-07:00

Lumberjacks and hot air balloons unite to create one mega Autumn happening at Shawnee Mountain Ski Area for a fall Timber and Balloon Festival held October 16 - 18.

Bushkill, PA (Vocus/PRWEB ) September 29, 2009 -- Lumberjacks and hot air balloons unite to create one mega Autumn happening at Shawnee Mountain Ski Area for a fall Timber and Balloon Festival held October 16 - 18. Gina Bertucci, spokesperson for Fernwood, a Bushkill Falls hotel, said, "This is "the" fall event in the Pocono Mountains that combines the beauty of hot air balloons with the day-long schedule of lumberjack events, crafts and entertainment."

The Pocono Mountains form the picturesque fall foliage backdrop for a weekend full of family friendly entertainment, music, food, lumberjack events and colorful hot air balloon launches. Special weekend packages include a hotel room or villa and two tickets to the Timber & Balloon Festival starting from just $159 a night. Bertucci continues, "This festival has something for everyone. Combined with our special accommodation pricing, it is a perfect way to see the spectacular fall colors on a fall weekend getaway."

Fernwood Hotel and Resort offers hotel and fully-equipped villa accommodations on its 440-acre resort with an 18 hole par 71 golf course, themed restaurants, live entertainment, indoor pools, daily activities, a video game area, fitness center, canoeing on the Delaware River, and a full selection of nearby activities. For Lumberjack Balloon package or other Pocono packages information go to FernwoodHotel.com or call 888-FERNWOOD (888-337-6966). Fernwood is located just minutes from Shawnee Mountain on Route 209 in Bushkill, PA. Bertucci concludes, "Enjoy a full day at the Festival then return to Fernwood, a Bushkill Falls hotel, to relax, have dinner, play a round of golf, take a swim in the indoor pool or enjoy a show. We recommend booking early, because the word is definitely out about how special this weekend in the Poconos has become."

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Sky high

2009-10-11T23:19:00.000-07:00

Balloons continue to fly despite down economy

QUEENSBURY -- For the past five years, Harry Collison has flown with the name Talk of the Town on the side of his basket.

But this year, his balloon carries the Panera Bread logo, instead of the Glens Falls establishment.

Collison, a commercial pilot and owner of Two Angels Hot Air Balloon Team from Coatesville, Pa., said it’s hard to remember everyone who has sponsored him over his last 16 years at the Adirondack Balloon Festival.

Many sponsors, Collison said, had to drop out this year due to the economy.

"If you have to make pay cuts, you’re probably not going to sponsor a balloon," he said.

Local and national businesses sponsor balloonists to offset the cost of holding the festival, which co-founder and treasurer Joan Grishkot said costs roughly $100,000 to put on each year.

Gishkot said sponsors pay $525 to cover a balloonist’s hotel room, propane and a meal or two over the weekend.

Down a few from past years, Grishkot said there 76 sponsors, a decline due to the recession. Each sponsor also receives a half-page ad in the festival program, which is sold to festivalgoers.

So far this year, Grishkot said program sales are "soft."

Sponsoring a balloon does get you an ad in the program and your business name of the basket, but one local sponsor said the advertisement is not entirely about drumming up business.

"Our name is out there, but I do it more for the fun of it," said Allen Powers, of Allen Powers CPA in Glens Falls, which does income tax preparations, financial services and accounting for small businesses.

Powers and his brother-in-law’s business, Fones Tree Service in Glens Falls, sponsor two balloons owned by Ken Griswold and his wife, Amy, the owners of Champagne Balloon Adventures in Alexandria Bay.

Powers said he’s been sponsoring Griswold for the last 15 years and even if doesn’t get a lot of business from it, he said he gets more than his money’s worth in camaraderie.

Sponsors also receive two free rides from their balloonist and Powers said he can still remember not only his first flight, but also the first balloon he went up in 12 years ago.

"It was a black balloon that had the Playboy bunny on it. We didn’t know that was on the balloon until he inflated it," he said with a smile.

"We even got a little Playboy balloon pin," he said.

Although Powers is able to ride each year for free, he said he’s only been up three or four times total.

"I usually let others who haven’t gone up before enjoy it," he said.

Sponsor or no sponsor, a balloon flight really depends on the support from mother nature.

"If you have to make pay cuts, you’re probably not going to sponsor a balloon," he said.

Local and national businesses sponsor balloonists to offset the cost of holding the festival, which co-founder and treasurer Joan Grishkot said costs roughly $100,000 to put on each year.

Gishkot said sponsors pay $525 to cover a balloonist’s hotel room, propane and a meal or two over the weekend.

Down a few from past years, Grishkot said there 76 sponsors, a decline due to the recession. Each sponsor also receives a half-page ad in the festival program, which is sold to festivalgoers.

So far this year, Grishkot said program sales are "soft."

Sponsoring a balloon does get you an ad in the program and your business name of the basket, but one local sponsor said the advertisement is not entirely about drumming up business.

"Our name is out there, but I do it more for the fun of it," said Allen Powers, of Allen Powers CPA in Glens Falls, which does income tax preparations, financial services and accounting for small businesses.

Powers and his brother-in-law’s business, Fones Tree Service in Glens Falls, sponsor two balloons owned by Ken Griswold and his wife, Amy, the owners of Champagne Balloon Adventures in Alexandria Bay.

Powers said he’s been sponsoring Griswold for the last 15 years and even if doesn’t get a lot of business from it, he said he gets more than his money’s worth in camaraderie.

Sponsors also receive two free rides from their balloonist and Powers said he can still remember not only his first flight, but also the first balloon he went up in 12 years ago.

"It was a black balloon that had the Playboy bunny on it. We didn’t know that was on the balloon until he inflated it," he said with a smile.

"We even got a little Playboy balloon pin," he said.

Although Powers is able to ride each year for free, he said he’s only been up three or four times total.

"I usually let others who haven’t gone up before enjoy it," he said.

Sponsor or no sponsor, a balloon flight really depends on the support from mother nature.

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A kaleidoscope of color over Prosser

2009-10-10T23:17:00.000-07:00

Cheryl Isaacs was ready for her. The hot air balloon pilot keeps a dozen or so extra gloves on a rack in her trailer.

With that, Isaacs put Sizer to work pulling rope, unpacking equipment and stretching out the envelope of Padre Del Sol, the balloon that would soon soar over Prosser in a kaleidoscope of colors.

"I like new experiences," Sizer said.

On Friday, Sizer, 58, joined dozens of other local volunteers who often go unnoticed, but help the Great Prosser Balloon Rally happen.

While all eyes are cast upwards at the hot air balloons, its the crews and volunteers on the ground that help make it all possible. Eager to help, learn or just touch one of the rally's 30 balloons, they are event's unsung heroes.

The pilots at the 20th annual event, which continues today and Sunday at the Prosser airport, depend on local volunteers to help crews -- or chase balloons.

Crew members help launch, then follow along on roads while talking to the pilot by radio. After a landing, they pack away the gear and haul it back to the airport.

Kelly Carlson, this year's rally coordinator, said about 60 or so volunteers help crew each year.

Pilots joke that the wide-eyed spectators are easy pickings for free labor. "Crew's another word for working," Isaacs said.

Her husband and crew chief, Michael, said it usually take four people to launch and land the balloon.

Pilots make few promises, but if crew members are extra lucky, they might get a ride on the last day of the festival, Carlson said.

Today, balloonists will take up sponsors of the event. But on Sunday, pilots have more freedom, though they obviously can't take everybody.

Even so, most volunteers still enjoy helping on the ground.

"To be there and be a part of that is wonderful," Carlson said.

Sizer, an accountant and grandmother of four, works with a longtime balloon rally volunteer who suggested she try crewing.

Carlson paired her with Isaacs, who has flown in seven Prosser rallies.

The veteran pilot showed Sizer how to clip lines to the balloon basket with a carabiner, prop open the bottom of the balloon to let a fan inflate it and act as human ballast once Isaacs began burning propane to heat up the air.

It all went much faster than Sizer would have guessed.

"I didn't know what was involved," she said.

Lower Valley residents Brian Michener, 16, and Kevin Munck, 14, joined Sizer partway through the launch process.

It beats just standing around and watching, said Michener, who has crewed for balloon pilots for the past six years.

"It's much more personal when you're involved," he said. "You learn a lot about them."

A few other spectators offered to pitch in, but Isaacs turned them down. She appreciates the help and enjoys teaching but must set limits for safety reasons, she said.

"I like having people help but I want to make sure they're doing it right," she said.

The Isaacs asked Sizer to help again Sunday with her husband Dean, a grape and apple grower. They did not promise anybody a ride.

That's OK with Sizer, who said she would bring her own gloves.

"If nothing else, helping is a lot of fun," Sizer said.

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See Kenya by balloon safari: the greatest wildlife show on earth

2009-10-09T23:16:00.000-07:00

We took off at dawn. That is when the air is most likely to be still, without the turbulence caused by thermals.

As they pumped hot air into the giant balloon, its dark shape swelled against the lightening sky.

The first rays of sunlight caught the top of the balloon, just as a full moon was dropping behind the plateau that bounds the western edge of the Mara Triangle - the north-western part of Kenya's Masai Mara game reserve.

Our pilot that morning was an American, Mike McGrath. He came from Chicago to visit the Masai Mara in 1988 - and has stayed in Kenya ever since.

He works for a company called Skyship, which proudly boasts it can treat you to the 'greatest wildlife show on earth' by taking you on an early-morning flight in a balloon over the plains.

I am sure the bold assertion is right. If you are lucky enough to be in the Mara when the migrating animals are there - the exact timing depends on the rains - make sure you build the balloon ride into your safari. It's an unbeatable experience.

As you rise into the air, you gaze down at the vast expanse of plain. As far as you can see, indeed right up to the Serengeti itself on the other side of the Tanzanian border, the grassy plains are black with animals.

The sheer numbers are mind-boggling: more than a million-and-a-half wildebeest or gnus, half-a-million zebra, another half-million topis, elands and Thompson's gazelle.

With the sun behind us, the balloon cast a great shadow on the plains as we passed 50ft to 100ft overhead. When the pilot fired the burner, the whoosh of igniting flame often caused a mini-stampede.

Standing in the balloon's basket, we could hear the thunder of hooves and the squeals and rumbles of the herd.

As we floated downwind, we seemed to open up a path in the sea of animals below, like Moses parting the waters of the Red Sea.

Normally, a balloon ride in the Mara can last up to an hour. Seeing how fast our shadow was travelling across the plains, I couldn't help realising that we must have caught the wind.

'How fast are we travelling?' I asked Mike.

'Around 40 miles an hour,' he replied. 'Actually, we are making pretty good time this morning. In another minute or two we could be crossing the border into Tanzania, which isn't a good idea. They're not very keen on unannounced visitors.'

After that, things happened very quickly. 'Sit down in the basket and hold on to the ropes!' Mike shouted. 'Watch out for the bump!'

I'd barely had time to clench my buttocks before the basket hit the ground with a mighty thwack. That wasn't the end of it. We bounced hard and high, two or three times, before our craft finally came to a stop and we were able to crawl out on to terra firma.

Later, when the safari trucks had caught up with us and we were sitting around a long trestle table enjoying a champagne breakfast, Mike made light of the experience.

'One time,' he said, 'when we were being dragged along in the basket, we scooped up a 10ft python. Another time, we picked up the rotting carcass of a wildebeest.'

Of course, he sounded nonchalant, but I could tell that he'd had his work cut out that morning. 'I would have given you guys more warning,' he half-apologised, 'but frankly I was too busy trying to spill the air from the balloon.'

If that balloon ride was the first unforgettable feature of my four days in the Mara, the second was the extraordinary sight of wildebeest and zebra crossing the Mara River in the teeth of a small army of waiting crocodiles.

As far as timing goes, we were extremely lucky. My guide, Abdul Karim, told me that people can sometimes wait for nine hours for the animals to cross.

'The water is very low this year. The crocodiles are easy to see in the water so the animals turn back,' he explained. 'They crowd on the bank but just won't go in.' I almost found myself feeling sorry for the crocodiles.

The previous night we had stayed in a tented camp near the Tanzanian border. We were working our way back up north and were within striking distance of the river below the Mara Serena Lodge when Abdul, our driver as well as our guide, exclaimed: 'The animals are crossing.'

We must at that moment have been two or three miles from the river. The ground sloped down in front of us to the edge of the water and rose up again on the other side. On the distant slopes, Abdul had seen the animals massing. A cloud of dust rose from thousands of hooves.

On our side of the river, a dozen vehicles had already arrived. As Abdul nudged our Toyota Land Cruiser into a splendid vantage point almost directly above the crossing, we saw a crocodile lunge at the hind leg of a wildebeest as it splashed, panic-stricken, through the water.

he croc failed to get a good grasp of its prey and the wildebeest wrenched itself free to make a dash for the safety of our bank.

After that, there was a lull in the action. On the far side of the river, we could see the animals - led, it seemed, by the zebras - coming down to the water, even taking a step or two across the rocks, then catching sight of the crocodiles and withdrawing to the safety of the bank, only to be jostled and harried by other animals hoping to cross.

Oddly enough, it was a lone zebra that broke the deadlock. By now, half a dozen crocodiles were almost directly in the path of the migrating animals.

With water levels so low, we could see virtually the whole length, breadth and height of the massive reptiles. If we could see them from where we were, the migrants certainly could.

But the lone zebra seemed to have thought it out. He didn't try to dash past or even - heroically, on quick and dancing feet - over the crocodiles. Instead, he went downstream, round the back of them. An end-run, if ever there was one. Out of danger, he scampered up the bank.

That splendid solo effort was the signal for a sudden rush of animals. They came thick and fast - so thick and so fast that it seemed that even the huge, snapping jaws of the crocodiles were going to miss their mark.

The death we witnessed that morning by the Mara River had almost a balletic quality to it.

This might be nature red in tooth and claw, but still there was a terrible beauty about the way one crocodile managed to seize a young zebra, catching it by its throat, while three or four other crocodiles - hungry giants, all of them - swivelled into action in a stunning display of teamwork.

Within a minute they had forced the whole zebra under water. With the reptiles now otherwise occupied, the way was clear for a mass crossing to take place.

Sitting in our Land Cruiser, Abdul and I and my friend Toby Fenwick-Wilson, formerly one of Africa's top guides who is now in charge of Sanctuary's lodges in East Africa, found time to reflect on the noble sacrifice we had just witnessed.

'One zebra has died,' Toby explained, 'but in the meantime, hundreds, perhaps thousands, have made it to the other side.'

'And what is that zebra's heavenly reward?' I asked. ' Seventy-two virgin zebras?'

Abdul, who is a Muslim and who missed out on most of the meals including the champagne breakfast (it was still Ramadan while I was there), seemed to enjoy that one.

The great migration is, of course, the most spectacular attraction of the Masai Mara, which extends over 590 square miles. Its inner core of 250 square miles is designated a National Reserve.

But leaving aside the wildlife, the Mara has everything else you could wish for. I stayed at the beautiful Sanctuary Olonana tented camp, perched on the bank of the Mara River, with a small pod of hippopotamuses grunting and dousing only a few yards away.

I saw elephants, giraffes, lions and baboons by the score. And, on one excursion, a male leopard stalking a warthog. We had to get back to camp before the gates closed, so missed the denouement.

If birds grab you more than mammals, the Mara is rich indeed. Eagles, vultures, herons, kingfishers, plovers, wheatears - the Mara has them all. And if you have a guide as good as Abdul, you'll learn quickly how to tell a hawk from a handsaw.

What makes the Mara so special, of course, is that it is not a reserve that operates against the interests of the local Masai people. On the contrary, the inner National Reserve is itself divided into two parts. One-third is run by the Trans-Mara Town Council and two-thirds by Narok Town Council.

It is not a question, I was assured, of badly needed tourist dollars being siphoned off wholesale to Mr Big in Nairobi with no trickle-down effect for the locals.

On my last day, Toby, Abdul and I paid a visit to a Masai village. I was greeted by a delegation of the women, who decked me out in traditional beads and sang songs of welcome.

We stooped low to enter their huts, bought some carved animals, and watched a Masai fire-maker coax a flame from a piece of wood he twirled between his hands.

Trite, of course. Horribly trite. But if the Masai have bought in to the idea of the reserve (and they seem to have done), it is largely because of the very real economic benefits the tourist trade brings them.

I am sure there are eco-activists in London NW1 who will throw up their hands in horror at the thought of my balloon ride, at least in terms of its impact on global warming and so on.

But believe me, without tourists like me, the Masai will begin to question what is the real value, to them or indeed to anyone else, of one million wildebeest and half a million zebra.

The herds of Masai cattle are there, just outside the reserve, longing to leap across from the parched pastures of the villages on to the lush grasses of the Mara. You see them from the air in the little plane back to Nairobi.

The eco-activists, the 'socially aware' non-governmental organisations, might argue that even if the Mara is lost, there is always the Serengeti to fall back on.

Well, I'm afraid nothing could be further from the truth. This is one colossal ecosystem. If the Mara goes, the Serengeti goes too. As the song goes, you can't have one without the other.

So I am proud to have taken that wonderful balloon flight, even if we did have a hairy landing. It helped to make my brief trip to the Masai Mara one of the most amazing experiences of my life.

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Wounded soldiers honored by hot air balloon

2009-10-08T23:15:00.000-07:00

AUGUSTA, Ga. - Many have fought for their country and been wounded in service, so at Fort Gordon those wounded warriors were honored with a day just for them.

"I look at my kids and look at the past history and where we came from and I want to pass that down to my children," said Master Sgt. Royce Harvey, a wounded soldier.

Words of a Soldier who fought in battle and served his country for over thirty years. He and others were honored at Fort Gordon for their sacrifices Saturday. One of the attractions were hot air balloon rides, but due to bad weather the rides were postponed for a later date.

"I've been in both theaters of operations in Iraq and Afghanistan and what we were dealing with was trying to control the terrorists that want to destabilize the government; that's plain and simple," said Sgt. Harvey.

Sgt. Harvey said he enjoyed the work he was doing overseas, until one day when all of the dangers and risks of war caught up with him.

"This particular day we came under small arms fire. We pushed forward and we got hit by and IED," said Sgt. Harvey.

In the attack, he suffered a bad neck and head injury. It put him in the Wounded Warriors Program.

"They have taken me from one level and got me to where I can transition into a new part of my life that I'm going to be moving into."

Although Sgt. Harvey may not be on the battle field anymore, he says he will continue to serve his country.

"I love the military, I love the army, I love continued service, and I'm going to continue serving the country but in a different way now."

The organizers of honoring event say if weather permits, they are going to try again Sunday to get their hot air balloons up in the sky.

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Balloon Fest draws crowd

2009-10-07T22:58:00.000-07:00

Redbud Park has been full with visitors for the 15th annual Big Country Balloon Fest.

Pat Young, president of the Optimist Club Unlimited of Abilene, said the festival has 14 balloons this year.

The Optimist Club Unlimited of Abilene is a non-profit group that organizes the Big Country Balloon Fest to benefit the youth of the Big Country.

Young said last year’s festival made $60,000 for the organization — allowing 22 scholarships, the most ever, to be awarded.

Other balloon facts

* The final event this year will be the hot air balloon flight No. 4 at 7 a.m. today.

* Three balloons are new to the festival.

* There are three major parts to a hot air balloon — the envelope, burner and basket.

* The envelope is the fabric bag that holds the hot air. The burner sits above the passengers’ heads and heats the air inside the envelope. The basket, usually made of wicker, is where passengers ride in the balloon.

* Propane is the most common fuel used in the burners. Balloons use between 15 and 20 gallons of fuel per hour.

* A balloon can be inflated and launched in 15 minutes or less. It takes about the same time to deflate and pack the balloon after the flight.

* Most popular sized balloons cost between $18,000 and $25,000.

* There are more than 3,500 balloons and 4,000 licensed pilots in the nation.

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Fighter pilots, balloon racers seek to avoid one another this weekend

2009-10-06T10:50:00.000-07:00

From the pink Energizer Bunny balloon to a ground-rattling F-15, pilots of the hot-air variety will briefly share the sky this weekend with counterparts in sleek, powerful jets.

The Great Forest Park Balloon Race is expected to draw 90,000 spectators on Saturday, while the Scott Air Force Base Air Show will draw crowds Saturday and Sunday.

Which raises the question: With so many balloons and aircraft aloft, how do you keep them out of harm's way?

The Federal Aviation Administration issued a "Notice to Airmen" on Thursday alerting pilots to the presence of "high performance aerial demonstrations" during this weekend's air show at Scott.

The airspace covered by the notice has a radius of 7 miles around Scott and reaches up to altitudes of 15,500 feet.

It's the job of the air show organizers to keep the performing aircraft within that defined air space, said FAA spokesman Tony Molinaro. Likewise, pilots who aren't participating in the air show cannot operate in areas covered by the notice.

There is no special notice for the balloon race.

Pilots of private aircraft and those operating the hot-air balloons must follow visual flight rules, meaning they have to watch out for one another, Molinaro said.

The balloons are scheduled to launch from the Central Fields at Forest Park at 4:45 p.m. Saturday. For more information, go to greatforestparkballoonrace.com.

The air show at Scott will run from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on both Saturday and Sunday. For more information, go to scottairshow.com.

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Up, up and away

2009-10-05T10:49:00.000-07:00

Hot-air balloons fill the sky over White Sands

Most men of retirement age consider an early-morning tee time to be the perfect way to start a day.

Bob Mass, of Albuquerque, isn't one of them.

"This is my weekend golf," said Mass, who pilots a hot-air balloon named Pita's Kiss. "That's what I tell folks. I try to do it every weekend, just like a golfer tries to go golfing every weekend."

Mass piloted his balloon early Saturday morning above White Sands National Monument's gypsum sand dunes during the 18th annual White Sands Balloon Invitational.

The balloon festival is the only time Holloman Air Force Base and White Sands Missile Range allow their airspace to be used. All balloons must be grounded by noon.

That's just fine with Mass, who spent four years as an airman at Holloman, piloting T-38s.

"Aviation's been in my blood for 40-something years now," he said. "I picked up ballooning after I got out of the Air Force as a way to keep air under my butt."

Threatening clouds hovered over White Sands National Monument for much of the morning before the sun rose over the Sacramento Mountains as many crews prepared their respective balloons for flight.

Thick clouds later gave way to clear blue skies as the morning progressed.

"I think the conditions turned out very well," Mass said. "We flew for more than an hour. We had a great time."

Gary Smith and his wife, Judy Thompson, both of Las Cruces, said they enjoyed watching the balloons early Saturday.

"We just wanted to get out, have a picnic and see the balloons," Smith said. "We've done it for a number of years when the balloons fly. It's a good thing to see on an early morning in New Mexico."

"I just wish I had $1 for every camera I see out here," he added.

"The White Sands Balloon Invitational is the best one I've ever seen because of the white sand," Thompson said. "I mean, what better backdrop can you have? I may come back (Sunday) morning, if I can get (Gary) out of bed."

About 52 hot-air balloons registered for this year's event. Half of the crews lifted off from White Sands National Monument while the other half took flight from Alamogordo.

Mass said ballooning is a great way to meet people.

"It's a community sport," he said. "You can't do it by yourself. You must have a crew. For some reason, people seem to be attracted by balloons. Whenever I land, there are a bunch of folks who will come over and want to help and be a part of it."

Piloting a balloon also provides for some excitement.

"You never know where you're going to end up," he said. "You go where the wind takes you. The only thing you can control is going up or down. I got about 1,500 feet off the ground, but I've been up to 10,000 feet above mean sea level. Here, that would be about 6,000 feet off the ground."

Brian Hodges, of Las Cruces, said he grew up in Alamogordo, but never ventured to White Sands National Monument to see the balloons take flight.

"We always used to watch them from our house," he said. "I wanted to see them up close."

Hodges brought his wife, Heather, and 1-year-old son, John, to the balloon festival.

"We wanted John to see the balloons," he said. "We've lived in this area for much of our lives, but this is the first time he's seen them."

Hodges said he was impressed by the spectacle put on by the balloons.

"It's really cool," he said. "They're so graceful. It's really neat the way they take off. They move faster than I thought they would move."

"This is amazing," said Heather Hodges, who also enjoyed her first balloon festival visit. "I've lived here for 14 years and this is my first time coming out to see them."

Brian wasn't too sure about taking a balloon ride. He prefers to keep his feet on the ground.

"I'm afraid of heights," he said. "Being in a wicker basket high above the ground just doesn't do anything for me."

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Photo gallery: Hot air balloons attack East Plano

2009-10-04T10:48:00.000-07:00

My wife and I have attended the Plano Balloon Festival at Oak Point Park since we moved to the area, something that has its highs (proximity to balloons taking off) and lows (the crowds). We decided against going this year for various reasons; little did we realize that the balloon festival would be coming to us.

Sometime around 7 p.m, we heard what sounded like racing engines being repeatedly fired. After about the fourth or fifth time, we went outside to investigate only to be greeted with the sight of multiple balloons floating low over our neighborhood. And when I say low, I mean low -- it was obvious that they were all coming in for a landing. This was alarming since there seemed to be few, if any, places in our area that would lend themselves to such an event.

As it turns out, several balloons were able to find small grassy spots wedged between high wires and an apartment complex -- not exactly ideal in my estimation, but they made it work. Even more harrowing was the landing spot the My27 balloon chose -- the front yard of a house on 15th Street. It was unclear if these landings were completely unorthodox or standard operating procedure for the balloon festival, but they certainly caused a stir in East Plano.

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Up, up and away in our beautiful balloons

2009-10-03T10:48:00.000-07:00

The Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta draws hundreds of thousands of visitors to Balloon Fiesta Park each year.

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. -- Gliding over the sere New Mexico landscape, ochre-colored desert melding with ochre-colored houses, I envision the first hot-air balloon flight more than two centuries ago. It must have been an otherworldly sight: a rooster, duck and sheep lifting off in front of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette, and soaring over the streets of Paris.

It's a far cry from today, when a woman puttering in her backyard pauses to wave at the gaggle of brightly colored balloons swooping over her Albuquerque home.

For our group, it's a sneak peek ahead of the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta, when hundreds of hot-air balloons of all shapes and sizes will fill the skies Oct. 3-11. Try to imagine a balloon with all the colors of the rainbow lifting off next to two yellow-and-black-striped honeybees rising in tandem, next to the menacing helmet of Darth Vader. It's a spectacle that draws hundreds of thousands of visitors to Balloon Fiesta Park each year.

TAKE OFF

On the chilly spring morning of our flight, passengers gathered on the barren lots of an undeveloped subdivision, waiting to learn if the winds were calm enough for us to ascend. The day before, our flights were canceled because of brisk breezes.

This morning we got the green light, so the groups scattered around the five massive balloon envelopes spread out on the ground. The burner was turned on, and a fan blew hot air into the envelope, which slowly rose from the ground as it filled.

Our group scrambled into a gondola manned by Mike Collins, senior pilot for Rainbow Ryders -- the only hot-air balloon company allowed to take visitors on flights during the Balloon Fiesta.

As the heat from the burner filled the envelope, we slowly rose from the ground, joining the other rainbow-hued balloons already in the air. Floating on the wind currents, we crossed over highways and homes, swimming pools and schools. Dogs barked ferociously as we passed overhead, and in one yard a rabbit skittered to safety.

The pilots steered us over the still-brown trees and brushed along the banks of the Rio Grande River, skimming over treetops and setting marsh birds and Canada geese to flight. One pilot briefly dipped the bottom of the gondola basket into the river's waters, and droplets poured down as the balloon ascended again.

In the distance, we saw the ancient volcanoes of Petroglyph National Monument, where we had walked the day before.

Eventually, the pilots began scouting for a place to land, and we touched down in a vacant field, where chase crews from Rainbow Ryders helped us disembark.

BALLOON CITY

Albuquerque's roots as a haven for hot-air ballooning stretch back more than a century, when a local barkeep launched a balloon from the center of town, soaring up to 14,000 feet before touching down several miles away.

But ballooning didn't move into the mainstream until 1972, when the city's first festival showcased 13 hot-air balloons. These days it draws more than 700.

With ballooning, weather is key, and the city is known for the ``Albuquerque Box,'' where the wind blows north at one elevation and south at another, allowing pilots to launch their balloons, fly, then turn around and touch down near the launch site.

More than 300 balloonists live in Albuquerque -- topping any other state -- and the first flights across both the Atlantic and the Pacific oceans had New Mexicans as key team members. Ben Abruzzo and Maxie Anderson -- for whom the local balloon museum is named -- were part of the first team to fly across the Atlantic Ocean, crossing the water in the Double Eagle II gas balloon in 1978. The pair was then part of a team that crossed the Pacific in Double Eagle V just three years later.

The history of hot-air ballooning is on vivid display at the Anderson-Abruzzo Albuquerque International Balloon Museum, which opened in 2005.

One exhibit spotlights that gravity-defying feat of 1783, when the rooster, duck and sheep were sent aloft. The first manned flight came just two months later.

Since those early years, hot-air balloons have been used not only for adventure and pleasure, but also in times of war. Balloons were used to get information out of the city during the siege of Paris in the 1870s, and for observing the enemy during the Civil War.

And museum curator of collections Marilee Schmit Nason shares a fact that perhaps few know. Japan launched thousands of incendiary balloons, known as the Fu-Go, at the United States during World War II. The balloon bombs, which floated across the Pacific Ocean, were designed to wreak havoc in the United States. About 1,000 were estimated to have reached U.S. shores, but they landed in winter in places like Washington and Oregon, and most simply fizzled out.

Other exhibits spotlight death-defying feats, such as Air Force Col. Joseph Kittinger's jump out of the Excelsior III at 102,800 feet, free falling for 4 ½ minutes before opening his parachute.

There's also Kittinger's balloon, Rosie O'Grady, used for the first solo Atlantic flight, and the Double Eagle V, which Anderson, Abruzzo and others used to cross the Pacific.

During the Balloon Fiesta, there's plenty happening outside the museum's doors, including a chainsaw carving championship, with artists transforming pieces of wood into astounding sculptures. Two nights are capped off with concerts -- one this year featuring country star Josh Gracin, and the other 1950s rock 'n' rollers, the Coasters.

But the balloons are the main attraction. Each morning, they ascend en masse, and competitions are held throughout the festival, such as balloon races and tests of ballooning skills. As night descends, there are balloon glows, with all the tethered balloons illuminated against the dark, and fireworks to cap off the daily events.

And of course there's always the chance to be part of the sea of balloons sailing through Albuquerque's crisp blue skies, waving at the tens of thousands of spectators gathered below.

Source

Big Country Balloonfest goes aloft this weekend

2009-10-02T10:47:00.000-07:00

Q: We moved to Abilene late last summer and as we were getting settled, we discovered the hot-air balloon fest over at Red Bud Park. We have always wanted to go see the International Balloon Fiesta in New Mexico but have never made it there so it was a real treat to see the balloons here in Abilene. I think it happened in September last year, so shouldn’t it be coming up soon? I wanted to make a balloon craft with my 5 and 7 year olds to get them excited for it, but I don’t know where to start. Any ideas? Up, Up and Away

A: Dear Up, Up and Away:

Hot-air balloons are amazing and beautiful to watch either in the early morning hours or during the evening exhibitions when they “glow”. Although Albuquerque, N.M., is the hot air balloon capital of the world and hosts the international fiesta, those of us who live here in the Big Country are blessed to not have to drive that far to see some balloons close up.

According to www.abilenevisitors.com this year marks the 15th year of the Big Country Balloon Fest. The activities start on Friday, Sept.25 and wrap up Sunday, Sept. 27th. To get more information about the event check out the website at: www.bigcountryballoonfest.com.

Here is a fun hot-air balloon craft for you to help your children with that I found at www.familyfun.go.com. The directions suggest using the finished project as a piñata, but it would also make a great decoration for any child’s room.

Hot-air Balloon Piñata

Supplies

- 14-inch balloon, inflated

- 10-inch bowl

1 batch papier-mâché paste

1 two-page spread each of regular newspaper and the comic pages

- 32-oz. plastic yogurt container, cut in half horizontally

- String

- Hole punch

- Glue stick

5 sheets of tissue paper in bright colors, cut into 3 1/2-inch squares

- 4 lbs. of individually wrapped candies

DIRECTIONS

For stability while working, place the balloon in a 10-inch bowl. Fold the spread of newspaper in half and then in half again. Tear (don’t cut) 1 1/2-inch-wide strips so they have a slightly rough edge (tearing along a straight edge works well). The rough edges help make a smooth overall surface. Drag a strip of newspaper through the papier-mâché paste, wipe off any excess with your fingers, and place it at an angle on the balloon. Place the second strip so that it slightly overlaps the first. Continue until the balloon has been covered with one layer of paper strips--except for a 2-inch square at the top, through which the candy will go. Give the papier-mâché up to 24 hours to dry. Cover your leftover paste with plastic wrap so it doesn’t dry out (if it does, add warm water).

For the piñata’s hanger, wrap the midpoint of a length of string (doubled up, if necessary) around the bottom of the balloon, pulling the ends up to the top; tape it to the balloon in a few places. Knot together the ends of the string 6 inches above the top. Tape the top half of the yogurt container to the bottom of the balloon. This will become the neck of the hot air balloon.

Cover the balloon (including the string), the neck and the bottom half of the yogurt container (which will become the hot air balloon basket) with a layer of strips of comics, placing them at a different angle from the first layer. (Using different colored strips lets you distinguish one layer from the next, ensuring a uniform overall thickness.) Allow the second layer to dry.

Cover the balloon, neck and basket with strips of plain newsprint going in a third direction. Smooth over any rough edges as you work. Allow the balloon to dry thoroughly.

Punch four holes into the neck of the hot air balloon and four into the basket. Attach string to the neck about 3 1/2 inches from the base of the balloon to later suspend the basket.

Dot the corners of a tissue square with a glue stick and place it just to the side of the 2-inch square on the top of the balloon. Follow with other squares in the same color, working your way diagonally down around the balloon. When you get to the bottom, start at the top again in another color, fitting the squares into a houndstooth pattern. If you want to add streamers, cut 2- by 30-inch lengths of tissue paper and glue them onto matching colored squares about halfway down.

Cover the basket with squares of tissue in different colors. Attach the basket to the balloon. Puncture the uncovered part of the balloon at the top of the piñata and remove all of the balloon fragments. Make sure the inside of the piñata is completely dry before you fill it, so the candy won’t stick to the sides. Fill it about halfway with the candy. Cover the opening with some tissue squares, and your piñata is ready to hang.

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Not Just Hot Air

2009-10-01T10:44:00.000-07:00

A British explorer has smashed two world records for spending the longest amount of time in a hot air balloon.

David Hempleman-Adams, 52, spent 14 hours and 15 minutes in a laundry-basket-sized balloon, flying 200 miles over the US Midwest. The previous record of eight hours and 12 minutes had not been broken for more than 26 years. Hempleman-Adams' feat broke the record for the AA-01 and the AA-02 class balloons.

The explorer said his worst fear was landing in water, which made flying over a lake especially stressful. He also had to dodge wind turbines and radio masts and contend with bugs.

''Whenever I put on my head torch to read the map all the mosquitoes in the area headed straight for me and bit me to death,'' he told the UK's Telegraph.

Hempleman-Adams said he's already facing competition -- from within his own family. His daugher Alicia has her sights set on ballooning and has been training to be a pilot.

''She has already done better than me in her balloon piloting exams. It won't be very long before she'll be breaking my records. That's kids for you,'" he told the Telegraph.

Hempleman-Adams was also the first person in history to ever reach the Geographic and Magnetic North and South poles as well as climb the highest peaks in all seven continents.

Source

Poteau Spooky BalloonFest 2009 With Helicopter Candy Drop

2009-09-30T23:46:00.000-07:00

TULSA, Okla., Sept. 10 /PRNewswire/ -- Poteau, Oklahoma's annual BalloonFest,
will be held on Halloween weekend with over 20 hot air balloons featuring a
helicopter candy drop, the "Mean machine" Hummer monster truck rides,
helicopter rides, stage coach rides, mud pit races, crafts and more.

Mayor Jeff Shockley said, "Each year we add several more attractions to our
BalloonFest but this year, we have really gone all out. There is something for
everyone. The skies will be full of over 20 hot air balloons, skydivers and if
that is not enough, on the ground will be a real carnival both days. We
encourage you to make overnight arrangements soon as our motels are rapidly
filling up. This is a great and safe way for the family to spend this holiday.
Join us and come see that Poteau is 'above the ordinary'."

A Pet Costume Contest is scheduled as well as Little Mr. and Ms. BalloonFest,
Silver dollar pick up for kids and our Fun Times Carnival. Contests include
ugliest big toe and biggest nose contest. A spook house for kids is planned.

Each night will feature hot air balloon glows, silhouetted against Cavanal,
the "World's highest hill."

The live music line up includes: Pottersfield, The Banister Brothers, Still
Kickin', Good Nite Jon Boy, Mint 11 Bee, Terri & The Executives and Magic 55.

Gate admission is $5 per person and parking is free. For more information
contact the Poteau Chamber of Commerce at poteauchamber@windstream.net or
918.647.9178.

Source

92-year-old wins hot-air balloon ride

2009-09-29T23:45:00.000-07:00

At age 92, Ethel Sundell of Reno has lived through several wars, 17 U.S. presidents and still works out at the gym.

She went on her first hot-air balloon ride Friday during the 28th annual Great Reno Balloon Race. She entered a drawing at Curves and won a free ride in the fitness center-sponsored balloon.

Sundell contacted her 58-year-old son, Charles Sundell of Reno, last week when finding out she won.

"She called me and said, 'What do you think?' I said, 'Go for it,'" Charles Sundell said.

Ethel Sundell said she enjoyed the balloon ride and would take another one if given the opportunity.

"The ride was fantastic," Sundell said. "I can't describe it. It was so wonderful."

Toward the end of the ride, Sundell said the warm temperature made her feel a bit queasy.

"I sat down in the balloon, and they had to help me up and I recovered right away," she said. "I'm fine."

Sundell moved to the area 10 years ago from Odebolt, Iowa, to be near her son. She's a retired schoolteacher and has two children, five grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.

Source

Clubs let New Mexico balloon festival spectators float above the crowds

2009-09-28T23:44:00.000-07:00

ALBUQUERQUE – Visitors can cut through the crowds by participating in two exclusive clubs at the world-famous Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta.

"We love to take our kids, meet friends and enjoy a wonderful meal with the best seats at the Balloon Fiesta," Renee Lancaster says. "We've brought many of our Dallas friends out to join us."

She and her husband, Robert, Coppell residents, are fans of the Gondola Club at the annual ballooning event, this year Oct. 3-11.

A second option is the Albuquerque International Balloon Museum's Diamond Club.

Each October, Albuquerque hosts the world's largest hot-air balloon festival. Participants from around the globe (and around Texas) marvel at novelty shapes (a flying cow, stagecoach, Smokey Bear and nearly a hundred others) as well as many-colored balloons in the regular shape.

Over nine days, the event draws nearly a million fans, making the low-crowd clubs attractive offerings. Life can't get any better than when you're sitting in comfortable seats, enjoying scrumptious food and watching more than 700 hot-air balloons turn the sky into a kaleidoscope of colors.

With a VIP pass ($100) for the Balloon Fiesta's Gondola Club, participants sit (indoors or out) in a reserved area at field level, have unobstructed views of takeoffs, reserved parking, a buffet, private bathrooms, a collectible souvenir pin and an easy walk to the Fiesta's lively "Main Street." (The Gondola Club provides golf-cart shuttles, if you prefer.)

A few hundred yards from the field, the Albuquerque International Balloon Museum's Diamond Club offers VIP arrangements designed for outdoors, although indoor viewing also is available. Here, you're above the crowds as hundreds of balloons sweep right over your head, so close that you sometimes can talk to the passengers. For the $75 VIP pass, you get preferred parking, a buffet, a glass of wine, indoor restrooms, a souvenir pin and golf-cart shuttle to and from the field. An added bonus is admission to the not-to-be-missed museum with docent-led tours on request.

Early reservations for the clubs are advised.

Contact: Gondola Club, 1-888-422-7277; www.balloonfiesta.com.

Diamond Club, 505-822-1111; www.balloonmuseum.com.

Kay Grant is a freelance writer in New Mexico.

Source

Balloon story continues

2009-09-27T23:43:00.000-07:00

You may remember a blog post here from a few weeks back when a hot air balloon was spotted a couple days in a row over Clear Lake.

The long story short, goes something like this:

• Guy rides balloon over Clear Lake.
• Jeremiah Miller sends me a photo (Jeremiah's in Afghanistan, by the way) of the balloon. Jeremiah received the photo from his step dad in Waseca.
• I ask readers if they know who was piloting the balloon.
• Turns out the balloonist is Russ Lucas of Claremont. I actually knew him because I used to work with his wife, but I didn't know Russ flew his balloon in our area.
• Russ, so impressed with how far the photo has gone, offers Jeremiah a ride when Jeremiah returns from overseas.
• Jeremiah suggests his mom and step dad take the ride instead.
• Russ gives Jeremiah's mom and step dad a ride in the balloon.
• This morning, I received the following e-mail from Jeremiah:

James,
Thanks for getting us in contact with Russ! He generously offered to give my Mom and Step Dad a ride yesterday! It had been a life long dream of my Mom's, she was so excited to go. They said it was amazing. Russ also offered to give me and my wife a ride when I get home. Pretty cool what one photo can do! Thanks again!

Jeremiah

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The Great Reno Balloon Race Takes Flight

2009-09-26T23:41:00.000-07:00

If you were up early enough, you likely saw the hot air balloons filling our skies. Over the years, The Great Reno Balloon race has grown from a couple dozen balloons to about 100.

When you're on the field or flying, it's something amazing to see.

Many people come out in the early morning hours while it's still dark, because they want to see the glow show and the mass ascension at Rancho San Rafael Park.

Marge O'Berg of Reno says, "I really enjoy the glow show. I think that makes it worth getting here. Seeing that line up of them, up in the sky, all lit up. I think that's worth it."

"We came from Fernley. So we left at 3:15 to come out here," says Marjorie Mauk.

Kids in pajamas, eating donuts and having no idea of what's to come.

First timers are impressed with all their eyes have to take in.

"Colorful, exciting. Just to see the small kids too, the excitement in their eyes. It's pretty cool, pretty amazing and for the amount of people that are here," says Michael Coulter of Sacramento, California.

As the sun begins to rise, the anticipation grows, for those new to the event and the ones who have been here before.

Jane Cates says, "It's amazing, it's so beautiful. It's a gathering of family and friends. We're all enjoying something of beauty."

"Looking at all of them as they're just starting to come up, it makes your heart sing," adds Pam Jones of Reno.

Hot Air Balloon Pilot, Scott Spencer tells the group riding in his balloon, "Here we go. Goodbye everybody!"

Spencer explains his flight plan, "What I'm gonna try and do is maneuver us out a little bit and then we're gonna climb. Is everybody okay with the altitude?"

"Despite the fact balloons aren't good transportation, unless you don't care where you're going or where you get to. You'll never see the world like you will in a hot air balloon. Man, what a spectacular view," adds Spencer.

If you missed everything Saturday, don't worry everything happens again on Sunday.

Source

Exeter friends share hot air balloon ride

2009-09-25T23:40:00.000-07:00

EXETER — Elva McBride’s kids gave her the gift of a dream.

On a trip to the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta in New Mexico last October, Elva and her friend Doris Hall explored the possibility of taking a balloon ride. Elva “just always wanted to” ride in a hot air balloon, she says.

The cost during the Fiesta was prohibitive, so Elva delayed her dream.

Elva is a lifelong adventurer. She’s visited Canada and seven European countries. When she wants to see more of the United States, she gets in her car and goes.

“I’ve been to all 50 states,” she says, “and I would come back to Nebraska any day of the week.”

For Elva’s eighty-first birthday this year, her children gave her the perfect gift: an hour-long ride with Nebraska balloon pilot Rich Jaworski, of Euphoria Balloons in Blair.

Jaworski, a world record holder for flight duration, impressed both women with his skill and his professionalism. “That man is very precise,” Doris says. “He really knows what he’s doing.”

Doris jumped at the chance to come with her friend.

Bad weather delayed their flight a couple of times, but on the evening of June 3 flying conditions were just right. They met Jaworski in Springfield, Nebr., south of Omaha, at the Sarpy County Fairgrounds. As advised, both women wore long sleeves against the chill and felt comfortable throughout.

Doris and Elva hopped into the basket of the red and white “Euphoria” with Jaworski and a mother and daughter pair from Omaha. Doris’s sons, Wade and Warren, and Elva’s daughter, Yvonne Austin, came along to watch. Jaworski also had two balloon chasers on the ground, following in their vehicle.

Elva and Doris marvel at how smoothly the balloon rose. Neither woman had a sensation of rising. The balloon ascended to about 700 feet, then Jaworski brought it back down to keep it between 200 and 300 feet, “To see better,” Elva explains.

The treetops felt very close, they recall.

Winds took them in a southerly direction. The balloon flew over corn fields, pastures and country roads. Elva and Doris appreciated their unique perspective on familiar countryside, but they were most impressed by the utter silence of the flight.

There was no sound of rushing wind, Elva says, because they were moving with it. Except for an occasional airy blast noise from the propane tanks as Jaworski adjusted the balloon’s altitude, no mechanical noises intruded on their experience.

They watched deer on the ground below, never alerted to their silent flight overhead. They moved soundlessly above a train winding on its track. Along the Platte River, they flew above a dead tree that was home to half a dozen herons’ nests without disturbing any occupants.

“Peaceful,” both women repeat, describing the experience. “Relaxing.”

Sounds from the earth rose to them clearly. They could hear dogs barking and cows mooing, and car tires crunching on gravel roads. As they floated above a baseball diamond in Louisville, “the kids were hollerin’ and waving,” Doris says.

Jaworski kept in radio contact with his ground crew throughout the flight, so all of the chasers were prepared to meet the balloon where it touched down near Manley. The women said Jaworski chooses his landing sites carefully, seeking out very low ground cover like alfalfa or harvested wheat, and avoiding livestock.

He gave instructions on how to hang on, and told them to expect a gentle bounce. With the sun’s rays growing longer, he brought the balloon down in an alfalfa field. It bounced once, as predicted, but on the second landing, a rogue wind caught the deflating balloon, and “we just went a-scootin’ across the field,” Elva says.

Their vertical flight was suddenly made horizontal. Jaworski’s chasers made a grab for the balloon, but the wind carried it swiftly away. The ground crew ran after it.

“We were piled one atop the other,” Doris says.

The basket dragged through the alfalfa and then, with everyone still in it, was pulled roughly down a draw, where it hit a creek bed and flipped onto one side. Elva, who had changed her grip to move out of Jaworski’s way as he fought to bring the balloon under control, bruised her shoulder on a propane tank.

“I just giggled and carried on,” Elva says. “I couldn’t help it; I thought it was funny.”

In a ceremony that followed, the riders knelt as if to kiss the ground, and Jaworski poured a little “champagne” over their heads. Everyone helped repack the balloon into a carrying sack smaller than some giant pumpkins. All of the riders had to sit on the bag to get the air out of it.

Despite the rough landing, both women are ready to go again, anytime.

Source

Color the Skies fest opens today

2009-09-24T00:39:00.000-07:00

Most mornings, the sunrise is far and away the most spectacular sight in the sky. Today and Sunday, though, the fiery ball faces some stiff competition from colorful hot-air balloons being launched at the Color the Skies festival in Ripon.

The fourth annual event, which raises awareness and money for Children's Hospital Central California in Madera County, also includes fun runs, tethered balloon rides, a car show, musical entertainment, an aerobatic jet team, a pancake breakfast and more.

Both days' schedules start with the breakfast, which runs from 5:30 a.m. to noon. Entertainment and activities are staggered through the morning and into afternoon, but if you want to see the festival's focus — the inflation and launch of the balloons — you'll have to rise early (Slept in this morning? You still have Sunday). Inflation starts around 6:30 a.m., and all the balloons are aloft by 7:30, said Jessica Coleman, president of Color the Skies, the nonprofit group the runs the festival.

"Actually, the pilots want to go earlier than that, but they stick around for the spectators," said Coleman, who founded the festival with her husband, Greg.

How many balloons will there be? "We'll, we're shooting for 20, but I always say they're like herding cats," she said Thursday, "so right now, we have about 17. Yesterday, we lost one, but by the time of the festival, we could gain two. We have a lot of balloonists in the Central Valley and Northern California. The furthest, I believe, is coming from down in the Laguna Beach area."

The Colemans — Ripon residents and parents of two daughters, 9-year-old Gabrielle and 6-hear-old Sophia — used to live in Fresno and over the years have held various positions on the hospital's foundation and trustees boards. "Once we moved up here, we just stayed involved with it," Coleman said. "My husband currently is the chairman of the board of trustees. He's been involved with the hospital for about 15 years."

When the couple were looking to create an event in this area to benefit the hospital, they settled on the hot-air balloon festival.

"A balloon festival really reaches the people who would actually need the services of the hospital, rather than doing a benefit dinner, where people could go only if they can afford it," Coleman said. "This is something that is all about children, is really geared toward families, and will reach a mass amount of people. And, you know, balloons — people come from all over to see hot-air balloons. Not a lot of cities in the country have a hot-air balloon festival. So it's a way to reach a lot of people and so something good at the same time."

The two-day schedule is full of fun activities, including tethered balloon rides for $7. "The pilot doing the rides on Sunday brings extra-long cords and goes up 40 to 50 feet," Coleman said.

Today's highlights include a car show from 6 to 10 a.m., a 1-mile run at 7:30, a 5K run at 8, the Wild Wonders Animal Show at 8 and 10:15, a show by the Patriots civilian aerobatic jet team at 8:45, a performance by the YES (Youth Entertainment Stage) Company at 9:30 and a sky-diving demonstration at 10:30.

Sunday's highlights include the Patriots jet team at 8:45, the sky diving at 10:15, a performance by the Sun Kings, a Beatles tribute band, at 11 a.m. and the Color The Skies BBQ from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. For a full schedule, go to www.colortheskies.com.

"We try to stagger the entertainment on the stage so there's always something fun going on," Coleman said. "We're doing a wildlife program with Wild Wonders, out of L.A. They used to travel with Animal Planet. So while Mom and Dad are out running the 5K, the little kids can watch the animal show."

Admission to the festival — held at the Mistlin Sports Park, on East River Road off Jack Tone Road — is free, and parking is $5. Tickets to the pancake breakfast are $5 in advance (information at colortheskies.com), $7 at the door. Entertainment is free, and children's arts and crafts and bounce houses are $1. "Everybody can have a good time and not feel they have to spend a ton of money," Coleman said. "A lot of great businesses donate products, like Save Mart donates all of our food that we sell. Last year, we sold 1,700 pancake breakfasts. We try to go into it with keeping our costs low, and take it from there."

Source

Antelope Island hosting kite, hot air balloon fest

2009-09-23T00:37:00.000-07:00

ANTELOPE ISLAND, Utah (AP) - Antelope Island on the Great Salt Lake is hosting a hot air balloon and kite festival this weekend.

The 2009 Antelope Island Balloon and Kite Stampede started Friday and runs through Sunday night.

Organizers say hot air balloons will fill the sky. Professional kite flyers will demonstrate their art and their intricate crafts, as well. Many kites will be several feet wide or in diameter.

Visitors to the festival are invited to bring and fly their own kites.

On the Net:

http://www.antelopeballoons.com

Source

StayCation for Some This Labor Day Includes A Hot Air Balloon Ride

2009-09-22T00:36:00.000-07:00

2009-09-05 13:53:13 - StayCation: ‘The act of staying near home and enjoying the local sites and activities’ is making a comeback this Labor Day weekend in Michigan.

Plymouth, MI – StayCation: ‘The act of staying near home and enjoying the local sites and activities’ is making a comeback this Labor Day weekend. Some are splurging on a hot air balloon flight over Kensington Park in Milford or Island Lake State Park in Brighton, Michigan says Scott Lorenz, President and Chief Pilot of Westwind Balloon Company of Plymouth,
Michigan.

www.westwindcos.com/balloon

“With the Michigan economy in its current state, people are rediscovering the fun stuff to do near their homes, “ says Lorenz. Why drive 4 hours when you can enjoy the nearby parks with lakes and streams and wildlife right here in Oakland County.

"Passengers love taking photos from the balloon especially when we fly over Kensington Park, it’s fabulous, it’s ten times better than people imagine. I just flew a couple the other night who said they decided to stay home, get a baby sitter and go flying with me over Kensington Park. They had canoed the park’s Huron River and had picnic in one of the dozens of cozy picnic areas. They just enjoyed each other’s company and the entire park. And they were 15 minutes from home if they had to check in on the kids.

Most balloon rides last about one hour and Lorenz flies over the woods and streams of Kensington Park. He and several other pilot friends meet at Park 'n Ride area off Milford Road and I-96 (exit # 155) about 2 1/2 hours before sunset. From there he’ll launch helium balloons, determine the wind direction, then take a short drive to one of nine launch sites in the area that give the best views and best landing sites downwind.

“Sometimes the landing can be like taking an elevator ride and others can be a little more exciting that’s why great care is taken in making the ‘go’ or ‘no-go’ decision on each flight based upon the weather.”

What to wear? Lorenz suggests passengers wear tennis shoes and jeans. He says the air temp “upstairs” is within a couple degrees of ground temp so its not a factor. Cameras and video cameras are highly recommended to preserve the once in a lifetime moments while flying over the countryside.

Flights cost $695 for a private ride which is two passengers and the pilot. All flights are pre-paid. Visa, MasterCard, AMEX, Discover and PayPal are accepted. Gift certificates are available.

To schedule a StayCation Balloon ride, call Westwind Balloon Company of Plymouth, MI, Flying over Kensington Park, Brighton, South Lyon and Milford. 734-667-2098 www.westwindcos.com/balloon Scott Lorenz, Pilot and Owner.

About Scott Lorenz
Scott Lorenz, President of Westwind Balloon Company, has been a commercial balloon pilot since 1982, and has logged 1,450 + hours as pilot in command in a hot air balloon. Scott’s memorable ballooning experiences include: Flying over Niagara Falls, The Great Wall of China, Disney World, the Olympics in Calgary, St. Wolfgang, Austria, Saga, Japan, the Grand Prix in Spain, co-piloting one of two balloons for Mike Howard’s Guinness World Record ”balloon walk” flight at 19,000 feet, a 20 hour-361 mile Gas Balloon flight with Gordon Boring and handling media relations for Kevin Uliassi’s Round the World balloon flights. Lorenz and his balloon exploits have been featured by FOX-2 News, Hour Detroit and The Detroit Free Press. A balloon flight on Westwind Co. was named "most creative date" by It’s Just Lunch. Westwind Balloon Company is a member of the Detroit Chamber of Commerce and the Southeast Michigan Balloon Federation (SEMBA). www.westwindcos.com/balloon

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Annual Big Bend Balloon Bash Held Outside of Alpine

2009-09-21T00:35:00.000-07:00

NEAR ALPINE - The annual Big Bend balloon bash took to the skies on Saturday under ideal flying conditions.

In total, 15 colorful hot air balloons, piloted by professionals from all across Texas, gathered just outside Alpine.

The balloons themselves are made out of stronger parachute material.

Residents say once you get up into the air, it's a smooth ride.

The Bash will continue through the Labor Day weekend with flights lifting off in the early morning and a fire concert at Buck Stadium in Alpine on Sunday night.

Source

Hot-air balloon pilot, paraplegic to speak

2009-09-20T00:34:00.000-07:00

Michael Glen, the first paraplegic in the world to become a hot-air balloon pilot, will share his inspiring story with students at two south Reno schools this week.

Glen is scheduled to speak at Galena High School just after 8 a.m. Wednesday. He will then speak at Marvin Piccolo School starting between 9:30 and 10 a.m. Thursday.

He'll also offer tethered balloon rides to young people with disabilities. All riders must obtain a ticket, and can do so by contacting Laura Dickey at 775-334-3123.

Glen's trip to Reno is being sponsored in part by the Reno Access Advisory Committee. The spinal cord injury that paralyzed him from the waist down occurred when he was involved in a car accident at age 21. An Arizona resident, he shares his story and his hot-air balloon with people throughout the country, and serves as an ambassador for the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation.

Glen also is scheduled to attend the Great Reno Balloon Race, which runs Friday to Sept. 13.

For more information about Michael Glen, visit www.rollingpilot.com.

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Llangollen Hot Air Balloon Festival round-up

2009-09-19T00:33:00.000-07:00

THE sky above the Dee Valley filled with a barrage of colour as 14 hot air balloons took off at day break yesterday.

The mass ascent provided a spectacular climax to the highly successful Llangollen Hot Air Balloon Festival.

David Green, whose company Xuberance Events, organises the festival was delighted at the fitting airborne finale.

During the weekend, daring stunts from the James Bond blockbuster Casino Royale were recreated by a team of talented freerunners who all live locally.

The 007 classic opened memorably with a thrilling chase in which Bond (Daniel Craig) pursues an incredibly athletic bad guy, played by free-running master Sebastian Foucan, through a building site, jumping off cranes and down lift shafts.

It introduced the world to the amazing urban acrobatics that is free running, a sport developed by Frenchman Foucan that involves moving across an urban landscape in the most direct and daring way possible.

FR3RUN, young men from Wrexham and Denbighshire aged from 15 to 20, entertained the crowd with a sequence of jumps, spins, twists and acrobatic leaps.

David Green said: “There was a fantastic crowd this year which gave the whole event a brilliant atmosphere and loads to do.

“The model hot air balloon festival, which is the biggest in the UK, inside the pavilion was a huge hit and the free-running display was absolutely amazing.”

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Hot Air Balloons Finally Launch Sunday Morning

2009-09-18T00:29:00.000-07:00

Hundreds of hot air balloons filled the sky Sunday morning after they were grounded on Saturday. Low clouds and unstable weather made for unsafe conditions for the balloons to launch.

The 33rd annual Colorado Balloon Classic is being held at Memorial Park and will happen again on Monday morning.

Sunday night, a scheduled balloon glow was cancelled due to weather.

Monday, the balloon launch is scheduled to start at 6:40 a.m.

Admission is free.

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Balloons take flight, finally

2009-09-17T01:30:00.000-07:00

The rains came and the rains will come again, but Thursday evening the hot-air balloons trumped the weather.

After storms washed away flights all day Wednesday and again Thursday morning, officials of the 2009 Balloon Federation of America U.S. National Hot Air Balloon Championship found a brief window; Championship Director Maury Sullivan called two tasks.

Despite heavy gray clouds and a threat of sprinkles, 54 pilots launched north of Battle Creek and flew west to an "X" in a field near North Avenue and Halbert Road and then to a target they chose themselves farther west. Targets of choice were required to be intersections within a designated area.

Meanwhile, 13 fiesta pilots launched from Kellogg Community College and flew to a target either at Northwestern Middle School or Lamora Park Elementary School, both on Battle Creek's north side.

As the competitive pilots flew over the cut hay field and dropped down to the target, some spectators lined North Avenue for a look.

"It's just great," said Brenda Harrison of Battle Creek, leaning against a car. "She (a friend) called me and said come over and I said I am turning off the stove and I am coming."

Harrison said she used to be part of a balloon club and has crewed before and still likes to watch the balloons.

"It's really nice to have it (the championship) in Battle Creek. I enjoy the other one (Battle Creek's annual summer balloon festival) and this is nice, too. I can just come out of the house and watch."

Harrison, like a few balloon pilots, was surprised to learn about the Thursday afternoon flight, given the state of the weather.

"I was amazed," she said. "It was raining when I came home from work."

Weather officer Brad Temeyer told pilots at their 5:30 p.m. briefing that he saw "isolated bands of light rain, rather light sprinkles" just west of Battle Creek "but that will continue to weaken and I am not expecting more than sprinkles."

Sullivan said he believed the weather window was wide enough for the pilots to fly safely before more rain, expected after dark, moved through the Battle Creek area.

Pilots must fly twice and a total of three tasks, according to BFA rules, for the event to be a valid championship.

Sullivan has seven possible flights before the event ends Sunday morning, and rain is expected to force cancellation of this morning's flight, Temeyer said.

Scores from the Thursday flight were not available at press time.

More public activities are scheduled tonight and Saturday night at the KCC campus between 4 p.m. and 9 p.m.

Food vendors and music are scheduled along with a balloon glow each night at 8:30 p.m. Parking and admission is free.

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Hot air balloons set to be launched in Lincoln

2009-09-16T01:29:00.000-07:00

LINCOLN -- Lincoln/Logan County Chamber of Commerce executive director Andi Hake has never been a fan of roller coaster rides.

"They make my stomach turn," Hake says.

But hot air balloons? That's a different story.

"I don't like heights, but riding in a hot air balloon is a blast. It's smooth, calm and just a beautiful sight whether you are on the ground or in the air."

Chances are Hake will be both on the ground and in the air during the annual Lincoln Art and Balloon Festival, which begins Friday and continues through Sunday. The chamber organizes the annual event split between the Logan County Airport and downtown Lincoln. The Art Fair is now in its 26th year, while the Balloon Fest is in its 21st year.

More than 40 hot air balloons are scheduled to launch at 6 p.m. Friday evening and take off again during a 6:30 a.m. sunrise launch on Saturday.

"We're going to have a great weekend with beautiful weather and beautiful balloons and it's a wonderful way to show off Lincoln and Logan County," said Lincoln Mayor Keith Snyder.

A complete schedule of events is available at the new and improved Lincoln Art and Balloon Festival Web site, www.lincolnillinois.com.

"We try different things every year and there we are always looking for new options and ideas," Hake said. "This year, we are adding a professional wrestling show. We've done the research and have found that it's a very popular form of entertainment and that's the bottom line. We are trying to entertain people here and find something for everyone to enjoy."

Features at the airport include a carnival, remote-control airplane demonstrations, helicopter rides, airplane rides and tethered balloon rides.

Downtown, the art and craft festivals have been revamped. Hake credits volunteer Marty Ahrends with being one of the driving forces.

"We have a lot of new artists as well as our loyal and favorite artists, but it's really a nice diversity," Ahrends said. "Some of the crafts we have seen already have been amazing."

The flea market and craft fair downtown at Scully Park begins at 3 p.m. today.

"The chamber has worked to develop activities and attractions to bridge the Lincoln Art Fair in Latham Park to the flea market and craft fair in Scully Park," Hake said. "The addition of a craft fair in Scully Park will enhance the downtown experience, while Kickapoo Street from Latham Park to Scully Park will be filled with family-friendly activity for everyone."

New options include a Family Fun Park, 'The Art of Wine' wine tasting event, a quad bungee jump, 50-foot obstacle course, Football Fun area and carriage rides will entertain festival-goers who can travel the Kickapoo Street corridor from park to park. Downtown will also have its own live entertainment. A hot-air balloon inflation is planned for Saturday at 11:30 a.m. at the corner of Kickapoo and Pulaski streets.

Also on Saturday, the Logan Railsplitting Association will do a demonstration at 1 p.m. at the corner of Kickapoo and Pulaski. Latham Park will host the True Blue Barbershop Quartet on Saturday, and Scully Park will have the Country Mavericks on Saturday and the Amazing Elvis on Sunday.

Lincoln Art and Balloon Festival

Where: Logan County Airport and Downtown Lincoln

When: 3 - 11 p.m. today, 6:30 a.m. - 11 p.m. Saturday, 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. Sunday

On the Net: www.lincolnillinois.com

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Poor weather keeps balloons grounded in Battle Creek

2009-09-15T01:26:00.000-07:00

BATTLE CREEK, Mich. (NEWSCHANNEL 3) – People in Calhoun County are watching the skies, waiting for the rain to let up since they're trying to host a hot-air balloon competition.

Once again, rain on Friday morning kept balloons on the ground at the U.S. National Hot Air Balloon Championship. Balloonists were able to get up for one task Thursday evening, but the weather doesn't look like it will cooperate for the rest of the weekend.

Battle Creek has seen some wet days recently, with some poorly timed rain coinciding with one of the largest hot air balloon competitions coming to town. The event has been an almost complete wash out.

"You know when you fly, it's like the earth leaves you," said Al Nels.

Nels is one of nearly 70 competitors from across the country who have come to Battle Creek for the city's first shot at hosting the U.S. National Hot Air Balloon Championships.

Unfortunately, the weather has not been cooperative, and about the only thing in the sky has been rain as it falls to earth.

"It's just the precipitation right now," said Derrick Jones, event organizer. "You know we're really hoping for a break in the weather tonight for flight and tomorrow morning looks pretty decent.

So far, the balloonists have had only one break in the weather and the balloons have spent most of their time on the ground. The launch site at Kellogg Community College has gone from green field to mud as the pilots grow increasingly antsy.

"We come to these events to fly, not sit in hotel rooms," said Nels.

According to the Calhoun County Convention and Visitors Bureau, the rain clouds have not dampened the economic impact of the event.

On average it costs pilots and crews several thousand dollars to come to these events.

"Probably their social economic strata is a little higher, and they spend money," said Dwight Butt, of the Convention and Visitors Bureau. "They do spend, and that means a lot for tourism in the community."

Even if the balloons remain grounded, the event may have given the local economy a much needed lift.

"In my mind it's a success," said Butt.

It could be some time before anyone knows exactly how much money the event has brought to Battle Creek.

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Tehama County Balloon fest to take off

2009-09-14T01:25:00.000-07:00

Tehama County will be looking to the skies on Oct. 24 and 25 as hot air balloons take off for the inaugural Ribs, Rods and Rides Hot Air Balloon Festival at Rolling Hills Casino in Corning.

What's neat about the festival is it is three different groups of people and their die hard groups, said Rolling Hills Marketing Director Kate Grissom. All three groups together will make for a really fun festival. The whole thing is a spectator event and most of it will be free.

In addition to balloons, participants will be able to visit a classic car show and an invitation- only rib cook off with proceeds from the day going to the Red Bluff/Tehama County Chamber of Commerce.

Grissom said Rolling Hills' involvement wasn't just about getting businesses to donate to the chamber.

Our mission is community improvement and development, Grissom said.

We believe if we can be a partner in raising funds, and by providing an event that not only encourages residents and businesses alike to participate we've created a sense of pride in Tehama County and that's a win-win situation.

Chamber President Kris Behrens said the loss of the Nitro Nationals Boat Drags has left the chamber in definite need of funding. She said she was also excited about drawing new people to the area.

The chamber's charge is to support local businesses, but also, as a partner to the Conventions and Business Bureau, to bring visitors to the area, Behrens said. (The festival) brings a new and different venue to Tehama County.

We've really done a fabulous job of preserving our heritage, but this provides a venue totally separate from that, which touches the same, but also a different, group.

The festival will run from daybreak, about 7 a.m., when the balloons take off, to 2 p.m. with lots for spectators to do and see, including wine and olive tasting, games and live music. Rib tasting will be included in the event for a price, which has not been set yet.

Hot air balloon rides will be available to the general public for a price, which also has not been set, with all proceeds from the rides going to the chamber.

Balloons will be tethered, but people will still experience the feeling of lifting off and coming back down, Behrens said.

Orland resident Russ James will be heading up the balloon portion of the event as the Balloonmeister. He will be in charge of organizing pilots and checking weather conditions before take off.

I'm getting kind of excited about bringing an event like this that might bring some notoriety to this part of the world, James said.

As for lift off weather, James said the weather doesn't have to be sunny.

The biggest thing is the wind, James said. When you get more than 6, 7, or 8 mph when you have a balloon on the ground, it's about 60 feet in diameter and 60 feet tall and it wants to go with the wind. Things get a little bit rough and tumble.

James said he has pilots coming from as far as Reno and Carson City, Nev. and Medford and Grants Pass, Ore.

James said part of what makes riding in a hot air balloon fun is the people he meets and the camaraderie with those he flies with.

As a rule, we don't land where we take off like a plane because we go where the wind goes, James said. Ballooning is all about having fun. In a lot of cases it's kind of an adventure to see where you go.

Taking off at dawn avoids conditions found later in the day, such as updrafts and downdrafts, he said.

Sunrise is ordinarily the calmest and coolest time of the day, James said. Not that balloons can't fly (in hotter periods) but you can't, say, if there's an updraft that takes your control away or a downdraft that slams you to the ground or into a tree or power line.

Sponsorships for the festival are available and include festival ride for $1,000 and friends of the festival for $750.

Those interested in sponsorship can call Alan Foley at 528- 1328 or Elizabeth Soder at 736- 1474. For information call 527- 6220.

Entry fee to the show for those with classic cars Further information about the festival can be found at www.rollinghillscasino.com/rrr.

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Weather makes for ideal conditions at Lincoln Art and Balloon Festival

2009-09-13T01:24:00.000-07:00

LINCOLN -- Sunshine and cool temperatures Saturday made for a perfect day for art and hot air balloon enthusiasts attending the Lincoln Art and Balloon Festival.

While only a handful of balloons were able to launch Friday night, on Saturday early morning festival goers were able to see the balloons fly into the Logan County Airport. One of those enjoying the view from the sky was Lincoln Mayor Keith Snyder, who received a "great surprise" when he was asked early Saturday morning to help crew and then ride in the "Travelin Lite" balloon piloted by Max Mitchell, the only pilot who has flown in each of the balloon festival's 21 years.

The view of Lincoln from a hot air balloon is "beautiful," according to Snyder, who described the scenery as "green fields" and "lots of trees."

A few hours later, with his feet firmly planted on a street near Latham Park, Snyder helped cut the ribbon to open the festival. Art enthusiasts then filled the sidewalks to view what Art Festival Co-Coordinator, Marty Ahrends described as a diverse mixture of art -- including stained glass, pottery, photography and even spray paint art.

At Cindy and Kirby Pringle's "Dogtown Artworks" booth, art lovers were treated to humorous "dog-people photographs." The husband-and-wife team combines photos of their two dogs, Barney and Buster, with those of human models, creating "dog people."

The idea began seven years ago, when Cindy took a photo of Kirby Pringle dressed in his bathrobe. She then replaced his head in the photo, with a photo of the head of their dog, and made it into a greeting card.

"I looked better with a dog head, so we kept it up," he said. After selling hand-colored black and white photos for many years prior to that, "our business went to the dogs," Cindy said.

Many of the photos feature Buster, a white boxer, with various items in his mouth--like ice cream cones, wax lips, fish, and spaghetti. Buster, known by the name Earl in the Pringles' works, has "great self-control," according to Kirby, and doesn't eat the items used in the photographs.

The Pringles are also selling two books featuring the dogs, aimed at adults and children. In one book, Barney, their boxer-mix who portrays Pearl, has to work hard to overcome an addiction to her bone phone and iPaw.

Besides laughing over the adventures of Earl and Pearl, children attending the Art Festival can create something of their own at the Children's Art Fair. For a $5 fee, options include tie-dye, making a 3-D hot air balloon or creating a food art project.

The hot air balloon activities concluded Saturday, but the art fair continues Sunday.

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Rain dampens but can't drown out balloon festival

2009-09-12T01:23:00.000-07:00

PLAINVILLE — If hometown pride could hold back the rain, the Plainville Fire Company’s presentation of the 25th annual Hot Air Balloon Festival would have lifted off as scheduled.

Joanne Edman, walking her small dog, Rascal, through Norton Park Saturday shook her head sadly.

“I’ve done a lot of traveling in my lifetime,” she said. “But, after all the bright lights and big city glamour it’s always nice to get back to Plainville. And now this.”

Edman made an arc with her left arm, the one not restraining Rascal. Before her scattered knots of festivalgoers wandered in the soft rain from craft booth to craft booth while a rock band entertained a small crowd of listeners stationed in front of the bandstand.

“Every year the firefighters knock themselves out to make the festival a success,” said Kirby Deegan. “To have many of the activities limited by the weather is a real shame.”

Standing under a tent, shielded by the rain, Peter Crowe, chairman of the festival, said in 25 years this weekend was the first time the festival has been fully rained out. The hot air balloon launches, fireworks and other shows had been canceled. Nothing was scheduled for Sunday.

“We still have a couple of live bands and vendors,” Crowe said, who chairs the festival committee made up of eight department heads. Members of the nonprofit, all-volunteer fire company work the festival — the largest community event of the year.

“Understandably the crowds have been slight this year,” he said.

Crowe and his committee have been working since January to ready the festival for this weekend. He said he was thankful to the people of Plainville and for their never-ending support. He estimated the cost of getting the annual festival up and running at around $40,000. Profits help operate the Plainville Fire Company; 10 percent of the revenue goes to a high school scholarship fund. In previous years annual scholarship funds have totaled as much as $6,500.

One vendor attracting customers despite the rain was Pat’s Fudge. Pat, who declined to give her last name, sold a visitor a quarter-pound piece of rum raisin fudge for $4. She said sales this year have been slower than in previous, sunnier years.

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Balloons in flight

2009-09-11T01:21:00.000-07:00

Competitors in the U.S. National Hot Air Balloon Championship will be flying a four part task this morning, the last day of the championship.

Pilots left the morning briefing with Championship Director Maury Sullivan at 6:45 a.m.
Winds will take the pilots from north of Battle Creek to the south side of the city.

Ten pilots are within 1,000 points of first place and up to 4,000 points are on the table this morning.

Targets this morning include Willard Beach on Goguac Lake.

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Model stunt planned for Llangollen Hot Air Balloon Festival

2009-09-10T01:18:00.000-07:00

A UNIQUE ‘little and large’ stunt is being planned at the Llangollen Hot Air Balloon Festival.

For the first time in the UK, organisers are planning to fly a remote control model balloon inside the super-heated envelope of a full-size balloon.

The idea has been hatched by festival director David Green and Andy Marshall, of Lindstrand Balloons, which organises the show within a show, the UK’s largest indoor model hot-air balloon festival.

It will be a feature of this year’s three-day festival which takes place on the weekend of Friday, Saturday and Sunday, September 4, 5 and 6, at the Royal International Pavilion.

The pair are warming up for the attempt by flying Andy’s model balloon inside David’s 60,000 cubic foot monster indoors at the pavilion.

Andy said: “That’s a first in itself. It’s never been done indoors but maybe that’s because there isn’t such a good venue for model hot air balloons as the pavilion.

“The roof is big and it’s nice and soft with no sharp bits and nothing to get tangled up in.

“We have to cold-inflate David’s balloon using a giant fan and then get mine up inside it and once it’s in there should be plenty of space for it to fly about in.”

David said: “It should look fantastic and will make for some amazing pictures.

“It will be tricky recreating it outdoors at the show with the high temperatures involved with a normal inflation and the need for absolute calm with no wind at all but if we can we’ll go for it.

“We should be able to switch the burners off for three or four minutes and that should give us time to get the model balloon in there and fly it about.

“It will still be very hot and we may have to look at some way of protecting the model balloon.”

The festival itself is Wales’s biggest hot-air balloon event and the model festival is the biggest in the UK with over 24 balloons taking part, including the one featured in a recent Tesco TV advert.

“It was shot in such a way that it looked full size but it was actually quite a small model,” said Andy:

“Model balloons can be up to 12 feet high so they’re quite substantial.”

The festival will open at 6pm on Friday night when, weather permitting, over 25 balloons will launch, and then it’s party time until 11pm with an outside stage featuring live music.

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Chesterton to host 'Wizard of Oz' hot-air balloon

2009-09-09T00:31:00.000-07:00

CHESTERTON, Ind. - Giant ruby slippers will hover over Chesterton when a hot-air balloon marking the 70th anniversary of "The Wizard of Oz" visits the city.

The green balloon will be on display Sunday at the Coffee Creek Watershed Preserve in the city about 35 miles southeast of Chicago.

The balloon is 75 feet tall and 55 feet in diameter. It depicts the red shoes worn by Judy Garland's character Dorothy, the Yellow Brick Road and 30-foot-high images of the Scarecrow, Tin Man, Dorothy and the Cowardly Lion.

The balloon's appearance is part of a national tour commemorating the film. It has made stops in Kansas, California, Ohio and Nevada so far.

Chesterton will host its annual Oz Festival Sept. 18-20.

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Donations for ride in RE/MAX Hot Air Balloon

2009-09-08T00:30:00.000-07:00

FORT MYERS: The RE/MAX Realty Group of Fort Myers tethered their balloon at the Southeast corner of Summerlin and Cypress Lake Drive in South Fort Myers on Saturday.

Visitors who brougt five cans of nonperishable food were able to go inside the ballon.

The food was donated the Harry Chapin Food Bank.

Additional information about or to contribute financially to the Harry Chapin Food Bank, contact 239-334-7007 or go to harrychapinfoodbank.org.

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Balloons ready for launch in Garden City

2009-09-07T00:29:00.000-07:00

FINNEY COUNTY, Kansas – The Hot Air Balloon Classic starts this weekend in Garden City.

It’s not something you hear every day.

"My name is Royce Miller and I'm a balloonist, and the name of my balloon is the Green Hornet,” said Royce Miller, balloonist.

And for the kids, it’s surely not a sight they see every day.

“It was awesome,” said Jasper Partin.

But this weekend is the Sixth Annual Hot Air Balloon Classic in Garden City and the sky will soon be aglow with 13 of them. Even for some adults, it’s the first time they’ve ever seen a hot air balloon up close.

“Quite intimidating I think, it's a lot bigger down in person seeing it first hand rather than seeing it up in the air like you do,” said Brainna Bustamante, teacher at St. Mary’s School.

The kids watched in awe as Miller explained the history and mechanics of hot air ballooning. They also got an up-close look at putting one together and felt the head produced by the burner.

“It was kind of cool sitting with my friends, watching it blow up and turn around, we got to see the inside of it a little,” Partin said.

For nine years, Miller’s been piloting balloons. He says there’s nothing as peaceful as floating along the sky and he wants to spread the word. With his visits, he hopes to inform the public about the joys of ballooning and help the kids broaden their horizons.

"I encourage kids to come out and see balloons, I encourage their parents,” he said. “Like I said, it's just more for the whole family and I want, I like that when I see a family out together enjoying something like this.”

Opening ceremonies start Saturday morning with a balloon launch at 7 a.m. at the Finney County Fairgrounds.

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Up, Up, and Away At New York State's Hot Air Balloon Fest

2009-09-06T00:28:00.000-07:00

If you’ll be chilling in upstate New York this Labor Day weekend, you may want to consider a little more action than just chowing down a couple of white hots off the grill. The New York State Festival of Balloons is taking place all weekend in Dansville, and it’s only about an hour south of Rochester. There will be plenty of food, arts and crafts, entertainment, and a huge amount of hot air balloons. You can even camp right at the festival in case you get stuck with overnight balloon duty.

To celebrate their 28th year running, organizers will kick things off on September 3 with their Thursday Night Balloon Glow. Swing by the town’s municipal airport to see the balloons fire up their burners and watch them shine in the night sky. Maybe if you’re lucky you can sweet-talk a pilot into a free ride over the weekend.

Over 35,000 balloon fans usually come to check out the festival, and this year you can be one of the masses for only a $5 admission fee. Your ticket will get you into the festival grounds to see the balloons take off, and there’s even a car show worth strolling around. This festival is a cool way to spend at least part of your holiday weekend—just be sure to pack a spare digital camera battery, because everyone loves pictures of hot air balloons.

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Nothing better than soaring on hot air

2009-09-05T00:27:00.000-07:00

HIGH in the sky and far in the distance, a tiny dot begins to take shape as it moves serenely and silently through the air. Is it a bird, is it a plane? No, it's a soaring, majestic hot air balloon, 3,000ft up, its crew, swinging in the basket below, unable to hear the gasps of admiration from those they pass below. Only the occasional dog bark rises up to pierce their high altitude tranquillity.

The sight of even a single hot air balloon is somehow captivating – but next weekend, weather permitting, 17 graceful bursts of colour will glide across the Strathaven sky as part of Scotland's only ballooning festival.

From Friday to Sunday evening, the flying machines, including two owned by a pair Edinburgh-based balloonists, will dip up and down over the countryside.

If the weather holds strong, that is.

Too wet, too windy or too cloudy and the mass fly will be cancelled. In one of the riskiest 'all or nothing' festivals around, the balloonists could scale the air three times in one day; or they could be grounded for the whole weekend. But even if they can't take off, Alistair Leggate and his friend and original instructor, Mark Stelling, will not be too upset.

The duo have been roaming the skies together for years, and they would be happy to just catch up with their balloon enthusiast friends from around the globe over a pint.

Alistair, from Lothian Road, has been a master of ballooning for seven years. He rides with a team from Edinburgh University, one of only four universities in Britain which takes part in the sport.

The 30-year-old picked up on the hobby in his final year of study and enjoyed sailing the clouds so much that he became an instructor of the sport – the first person trained up in about a decade at the university.

He says: "Most people just enjoy the ride rather than training up to teach, but I liked the feeling too much. You don't have much control over where the balloon goes, you're basically at the mercy of the wind. The unexpected nature of the journey is a huge draw of the sport.

"That is not to say it is a huge risk to fly. In the last 20 years or so there has only been two fatalities, although it is not the smooth ride of champagne and strawberries people think it is. It can be bumpy. You can be dragged 100 metres along the ground."

In a year, Alistair, whose day job is a financial analyst, estimates that he takes around 80 flights, although he admits that "20 is a good number for somewhere like Scotland". You will rarely see a balloon over central Edinburgh because the ever-expanding air traffic zone means balloonists are restricted to surrounding areas, such as Dalkeith and Fife.

He says: "Riding Scotland is completely different, you never take a balloon out when it's windy or you could get knocked clean over. But I like local flights because the weather makes it more challenging. In France you've basically got open fields, so everybody can take off and land. Here you have to dodge crops and animals, especially during lambing season."

Alistair has travelled in his basket all over the world. But his most memorable trip three years ago when he flew 15,000 feet – half the height of an average airplane – over the Austrian Alps. It was so far up that he needed oxygen supplies to survive. He says: "Everybody's seen the postcard pictures from the ground but seeing hundreds of peaks from the air was amazing.

"You can't replicate that kind of view behind the glass or a helicopter or aeroplane. Even if it can get a bit chilly."

Ballooning is more than a one-man effort. Alistair's balloon holds five people, and Mark's balloon takes four. Only once has Alistair enjoyed the serenity of a balloon trip by himself, as part of his training. "You're usually joined by an instructor or people helping man the balloon, so it's a very strange feeling to be alone.

"You're much lighter and you hardly have to use the burner. It was one of those moments that was eerie, but enjoyable too. The only thing you can hear at 3,000 feet is dogs barking. You leave the cars and bustle behind."

But if you want to experience such moments of tranquillity, it will cost you. A brand new balloon and all the trimmings will cost £30,000.

However, there is a credit crunch approach. Mark, who picked up the hobby in 1995, went for a second-hand balloon, which set him back just £5,000.

The 42-year-old from South Queensferry remembers his first flight over Malham Cove, in North Yorkshire, which he found so enjoyable that he bought his balloon – with its skull and crossbones pattern – a month later.

He remembers: "It was black and white, with the pirate sign across it. Some people thought it was inappropriate but I thought it was a bit of a laugh. You can't fly it now, it looks more like a teabag. But I got 340 hours out of it, which is a good rate."

Ballooning makes a change from his day job, piloting planes for Monarch airline. Every year he spends over 700 hours in the sky, but he knows which method of flying he prefers.

Like Alistair, he says being directly amongst the clouds and wind cannot be beaten. "You see everything, without any engine noise or unnatural surroundings. There's just a slightly rocking breeze and your thoughts."

Next weekend's event will see the 17 balloons – most the regular 'tear' shape – drift to the sky. Each balloon will lift half a ton of weight slowly and sensible, so the crew can enjoy the scenery without crashes. Alistair says: "There are rules of the air. The person above always has to give way. We're not in competition, we're just enthusiasts enjoying the hobby.

"The same people from across the country tow their balloons along every year, so it's not like a wet or windy weekend will make it a disappointment. We're all friends and we'll share our tales."

Even if the rain and wind gets in the way, they will always hold a night glow event. If the weather is too severe, each owner will light up their balloon in the evening in a sign of unity and celebration.

• Strathaven Balloon Festival will take place at John Hastie Park, on between 28-30 August. Admission is free. Log on to www.strathavenballoonfestival.co.uk

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This weekend: Balloons and Tunes - Grove City, Ohio

2009-09-04T00:26:00.000-07:00

If you have ever wanted to ride in a hot air balloon, this weekend is your chance. Grove City, Ohio, just outside of Columbus, will be holding Balloons and Tunes, a festival celebrating hot air balloons. The Central Ohio Balloon Club will be providing an opportunity to learn all about hot air ballooning and even a chance to ride in an actual hot air balloon. Both full rides and tethered rides will be available. Balloon ascensions are scheduled for Friday, Saturday, and Sunday evenings as well as Saturday and Sunday mornings.

If you are the type that enjoys the beauty of watching hot air balloons, but would not, necessarily, enjoy a ride in one, there will be plenty of other family friendly activities to do, including a climbing wall, inflatables, a rope course, shows, and crafts. Live music will also be featured through out the weekend. Lots of food and beverage vendors will also be on hand.

Festival Info: Hours – Friday 3:00 pm to 10:00 pm, Saturday 11:00 am to 10:00 pm, Sunday 11:00 am to 7:00 pm. Admission - $5, children under 5 are free. Parking is $5. Rock climbing wall $5. Ropes course $6. All day inflatables admission $8. Visit Real Adventure Hot Air Balloon Co. for hot air balloon ride prices and details.

Location: Beulah Park – 3811 Southwest Blvd. Grove City, Ohio 43123

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Navy Pier to launch tethered hot air balloon rides

2009-09-03T00:25:00.000-07:00

Ok, so you’ve seen the city of Chicago from the water, from the skydeck of a skyscraper, from the top of a tour bus and from the Ferris wheel at Navy Pier. You’ll soon be able to get a view from Navy Pier at over twice the height of the Ferris wheel, according to a Chicago Tribune article posted today.

According to the report, tethered hot air balloon rides may be available at Navy Pier as soon as next week after the Chicago Plan Commission voted in favor of the proposal this afternoon. The rides would be introduced temporarily until October.

Rides will go up when the weather cooperates and an 8 to 10 minute ride would run $25 for adults and $15 for children 12 and under. The ride would raise passengers about 350 feet. The Ferris wheel takes passengers up 150 feet. With ideal weather conditions, up to 1,100 passengers could ride up in the sky in a single day.

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Balloon championship set to take flight

2009-09-02T00:24:00.000-07:00

A Texas pilot will try this week to set one new record and tie another when the U.S. National Hot Air Balloon Championship is held in Battle Creek for the first time.

A win this week would give Joe Heartsill of San Angelo, Texas, his third consecutive win, something never done since the Balloon Federation of America held its first championship in 1963 in Kalamazoo. A win also would give Heartsill six championships and tie him for the most ever, a record set by former Michigan pilot Bruce Comstock in 1987.

"This year is kind of exciting," Heartsill said Friday from his home before making the trip north. "We have got a goal and seven would be luckier than six but I have to take it one at a time.

"This year is kind of exciting because I have a chance to make it three in a row and in three different cities,” he added.

Heartsill, 59, who has his own business making real estate investments, won last year in Columbia, S.C., two years ago in Waco, Texas, 1999 in Rantoul, Ill., 1997 in Columbia, Mo., and 1992 in Middletown, Ohio.

“The cool part is being at different locations,” he said.

Heartsill will be one of 54 pilots competing for the 2009 BFA championship, which will be held Wednesday through Sunday at Kellogg Community College. After media and sponsor flights on Wednesday, competition begins Thursday morning, and is scheduled each morning and evening concluding Sunday morning. Fifteen fiesta or fun flyers also will be in the skies.

The nationals have never been flown in Battle Creek and only once in Michigan. Organizer Derrick Jones said he hopes to announce this week that the BFA National Championship will be held in Battle Creek in 2010 and 2011.

It’s the second hot air balloon event held this year following the Field of Flight Air Show and Balloon Festival over the July 4 weekend. The two events are not connected. The National Championship will replace the Holiday Balloon Fest, held each December for the past 10 years.

For Heartsill and many other pilots, Battle Creek will be familiar terrain. He has flown at the mid-summer event several times, winning as an individual and with two others taking the Team U.S. Nationals in 1997.

“It’s almost like playing on home turf,” Heartsill said “We are looking forward to Battle Creek. We want to get in a couple of practice flights. It should be fun. And I am going to do what I always have done, try to be steady and not make any mistakes. Try to be steady on every flight. You try to win the war and not the battle.”
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Winning won’t be easy, Heartsill said. The field includes former national and world champions like Steve Jones, Owen Keown, Al Nels, Johnny Petrehn and his brother Paul Petrehn and Nick Donner.

Heartsill guessed his toughest competition will come from the Petrehn brothers and Nick Donner and his brother, Chase.

“I am always watching for those guys but there are a lot of good competitors out there with a shot. This is for an opportunity to earn a slot at the next world championship and there are a number of competitors who would like that opportunity.”

Two-time winner Paul Petrehn of Howell said many in the field have a good chance to win, including his brother and Heartsill.

Petrehn said many in the competitive ballooning community are watching Heartsill because he has a chance for three in a row and six overall championships.

“It’s becoming a conversation piece,” Petrehn said. “He is putting himself in the hall of fame. It’s not an easy thing to do but Joe is one who could do it. I know he has it in the back of his mind.”

Paul Petrehn, a two-time national champion who won the 2009 Field of Flight and has flown in Battle Creek many times, said several of the pilots have a comfort level because they have competed here so many times.

“It allows me to sleep in my own bed Tuesday night and come over Wednesday,” he said. “Having the familiarity with the summer event and having flown in the winter (at the Holiday Balloon Fest) it gives peace of mind to the pilots and crews.”

The only Battle Creek pilot competing is a rookie, James Mitchell, 21, an aviation student at Western Michigan University.

“It’s my first time and I am going into it looking for learning perspectives,” Mitchell said. “The best pilots in the country will be here and it will be great to be able to fly with them.”

Mitchell said he is realistic about his chances after three years and 150 hours of flight time.
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“It’s always nice to go in with an attitude,” he said. “But these individuals are extremely well experienced. I crewed at the nationals last year and I know what they can do and I have flown against some of them at other events and for me to finish in the top half of the field, I would feel good about myself.”

As pilots like Heartsill, Petrehn and Mitchell prepare for flying, organizers said their preparations are about complete.

“We are good,” Derrick Jones said. “We are glad the time has come after four months of total chaos but we are ready to go and the sponsors and the community are ready.”

The BFA and Jones and the Holiday Balloon Fest board announced in May plans to bring the nationals to Battle Creek.

All agreed it was a short time to prepare but Jones said Friday the Holiday Balloon Fest board and committees, with 10 years of experience organizing an event in Battle Creek and with help from the BFA, were able to prepare in time.

“The staff is ready and by Monday there will be a few pilots in town and the officials will be here and we will get the odds and ends finished and be ready on Wednesday,” Jones said.

He said the organization has put together the event with a $225,000 budget of cash and in-kind contributions including prize money for competitors of $15,700 plus $1,000 for fiesta pilots. About 200 volunteers will be working on the event.

All admission is free and Jones said while there will be balloons in the sky both mornings and evenings beginning Wednesday, vendors, activities for children and some entertainment will be only Friday and Saturday from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Kellogg Community College.

Parking and admission are free although organizers are asking people to bring a non-perishable food item for the Food Bank of South Central Michigan.

“We had a very short window but things are coming together even better than we hoped,” said Andy Baird, president of the Balloon Federation of America.

“We are very fortunate to have local knowledge, experience and talent and that made all the difference and it is all coming together.”

Baird said bringing the nationals back to the Midwest after the past eight years in South Carolina and Texas is a positive move.

“We are fortunate that the Midwest brings us pretty good weather this time of the year.”

Trace Christenson can be reached at 966-0685 or tchrist@battlecr.gannett.com.

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Balloon company lets air out of dream flights

2009-09-01T00:13:00.000-07:00

Customers of A Great American Balloon Co. complain of multiple cancellations

For its phone number, A Great American Balloon Co. uses digits that spell out the phrase We Do Fly.

Clever enough.

Trouble is, more often than not the hot air balloon company doesn't fly, leaving paying customers grounded for months, sometimes years, waiting for a chance to cash in on their prepaid journeys.

In the past several weeks, three readers have written to What's Your Problem? to complain about the Evanston-based balloon company, which flies out of several spots in the upper Midwest, including Fox River Grove and Plainfield.

In all three cases, the readers or a loved one prepaid $175-$200 for a ride, only to be told repeatedly that weather conditions did not permit flying on their scheduled days.

"I think they're hoping I'll die," said Gloria Byczynski, an Ottawa senior citizen whose children bought her a balloon ride for her birthday three years ago.

Byczynski said she's scheduled a half-dozen flights since August 2006. A Great American Balloon Co. canceled every one of them, citing bad weather.

"I'm even wondering if they have a balloon," Byczynski said. "I've been going around with these guys for quite a while."

So has Bob Ruckoldt of Huntley, who wrote to What's Your Problem? on July 30, one day after his scheduled flight was canceled. It was his fifth cancellation.

Ruckoldt said friends bought him the balloon trip two years ago. He's still waiting for liftoff.

"They tell you it's the upper atmosphere, but it looked like a perfect day," Ruckoldt said. "They keep selling new flights, and the rescheduling just gets further and further away. We figure we probably won't get a flight again this year."

Hank Strunk is equally pessimistic. His children bought him a balloon ride last year for his 75th birthday. He said he's tried repeatedly to book a flight, but each has been canceled.

Frustrated, his daughter, e-mailed What's Your Problem?

"These people are just -- I don't want to curse -- but I feel like they're blank liars," Sue Strunk said. "All they do is take money and then string people along until they are so worn down that they stop calling."

Byczynski and Ruckoldt both said they asked for their money back but have been rebuffed. The balloon company has a no-refund policy.

Almost two weeks ago, the Problem Solver called Ron Lake, manager of A Great American Balloon Co. in Illinois.

Lake said flight cancellations are common in the Midwest, and that less than one-third of scheduled trips actually take off.

While some customers take off on their first scheduled trip, a half-dozen cancellations is pretty standard, he said. One group, he said, had to reschedule 15 times.

"We have to be so careful," Lake said.

The last two summers have been uncharacteristically rainy, further slowing operations, he said. Even so, the company flew about 1,800 people last summer, and it expects to fly a similar number again this year, Lake said.

Asked why he doesn't refund money to dissatisfied customers if their flights have been canceled a half-dozen times, Lake said he has no intention of giving money back.

"We would simply become a bank," he said. "The money [would go] back and forth, back and forth."

Lake promised to move Strunk and Ruckoldt to the top of the list of customers, ensuring they would get on a flight quickly.

"We'll get someone to bird-dog them and get them up as soon as possible," Lake said.

He said the company would call the men if there was a last-minute cancellation, then put them in the air that day.

"Whenever we fly, there's usually two or three people that just don't show up," he said more than a week ago.

Several days later, the company called Strunk -- to schedule a flight in October. Strunk said he complained and was given a new date of Sept. 9.

"I was dumbfounded," Strunk said. "I came to a conclusion. I asked myself if I trust or have confidence in these folks, and the answer is no."

Ruckoldt said he received no calls. He and his wife remain scheduled for a Sept. 17 flight, but he has little confidence it will happen.

"If that gets blown off, the season's over," he said. "It could still go on for a long time."

HAVE A PROBLEM? E-mail your story, providing as many details as possible, to yourproblem@tribune.com or write to What's Your Problem?, Newsroom, Chicago Tribune, 435 N. Michigan Ave., Chicago, IL 60611. Please include your name and a way to contact you. We cannot respond to everyone, but we'll get to as many as we can and publish the results Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays.

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Huntington pilot wins State Fair balloon race

2009-08-30T23:59:00.000-07:00

Twenty-six balloons took off this morning for the annual Giant Hot Air Balloon Race at the Indiana State Fair.

The event began at the fairgrounds about 7:10 a.m. A "hare'' balloon led the others to a landing spot at Park Tudor School near 71st Street and College Avenue.

Balloonists then dropped beanbags on a large “X” attempting to be the closest to the target. According to a State Fair news release, "because of the lack of winds, many beanbags landed within inches of each other.''

Chris Smart of Huntington, in an Oliver Winery balloon, won the event, dropping his beanbag 2 feet, 9.5 inches away from the target.

Other top finishers: Travis Vencel, Bloomington, whose beanbag landed 3 feet, 8 inches away; Pat Newell, Noblesville, 4 feet, 5 inches; Alvin Hansen, Winimac, 5 feet, 7 inches.

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Rome man, son land safely in hot air balloon incident

2009-08-29T23:58:00.000-07:00

KIRKLAND —

A Rome man and his son landed safely on a Kirkland road tonight after their hot air balloon veered off course.

"We were going to put it down on the other side of town, and then the wind kept shifting," Steven Flanders said shortly after landing the balloon on Chapel View Road at about 8:30 p.m. "That's what's exciting about ballooning, you never know."

Flanders said he and his son Adrian took off at about 6:20 p.m. in Vernon along with a second balloon. At one point, his balloon veered off course and he needed a place to land.

Steven Flanders first was going to try and land on the high school baseball field, but ended up heading south of that.

Police units were notified, and traffic was stopped near where the balloon planned to land. The Flanders ended up landing on Chapel View Road, which runs east off of Fountain Street.

The landing came much to the surprise of Nicole Storey, 16, and her mother, who were just leaving their house at the time. The multicolor balloon finally was pulled down to the ground just feet from their vehicle.

"You normally don't see a hot air balloon landing right in your driveway," Storey said.

The Flanders' ground crew, which follows the balloon in a vehicle, met up with them on the road. After the crew folded up the balloon and packed it and the basket into their vehicle, the road was clear to traffic. That was at about 8:45 p.m.

Kirkland police Officer Wayne Smoulcey said the hot air balloon landing was a first for him and other officers who helped tether the balloon.

But it was just another day for Flanders, who balloons two to three times a week as a hobby.

His balloon holds 90,000 cubic feet of air, can carry up to five people, and is capable of reaching heights well above the 3,000 feet he was at Friday, he said.

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Skydiving, ballooning and flying in the northeast

2009-08-28T23:57:00.000-07:00

Man has daydreamed of flying since he first spied birds in the sky. Short of booking a flight on a commercial airplane, there are few opportunities for regular folks to defy gravity.

But if you know where to look here in the Northeast, there are some opportunities to get a bird's-eye view of the most magical landscapes on the planet.

Sure, you could access Google Earth and get some idea of what you'd see, but there's nothing like the elation of actual elevation.

THINGS TO KNOW

For most of us, flying, floating and gliding are once-in-a-lifetime experiences. For that reason, we've included only places where you can reserve a guided trip with all equipment provided.

Although your actual session may last only a few minutes, expect to attend a pre-flight training and safety session. Liability waivers also are standard practice. Since many flight experiences are dependent on weather and availability, you'll want to discuss cancellation and rescheduling policies with the operators before you commit to a trip.

TAKE A DIVE

Seemingly spinning and falling into oblivion, you feel the wind whipping your cheeks till, whoosh, the parachute opens and you're floating. "It's the only time in my life when I can't answer my cell phone, Facebook, Twitter - no one can contact me when I'm falling at 120 miles per hour," says avid sky diver and founder of Help A Reporter Out, Peter Shankman. "When the chute deploys and things slow down dramatically, the first thing you notice is the quiet. Your senses are heightened. The air smells cleaner."

Sky-dive The Ranch, Gardiner, N.Y., 845-255-4033, skydivetheranch.com; COST $195 for a tandem jump

The ground looks like computer circuitry beneath you as you lunge from the plane. You're in free fall from 13,500 to 6,000 feet. No worries - you've trained on the ground for 40 minutes and are attached to an expert sky diver who will pull the cord at just the right time.

Fun Sky Diving, Danielson, Conn., 860-774-5867, funskydiving.com, COST From $189

Sixteen- and 17-year-olds are now allowed to jump tandem with instructors, making this a perfect family outing for those who have those tough-to-please older teens with thrill-seeking genes.

SkyVenture Indoor Skydiving, Nashua, N.H., 603-897-0002, skyventurenh.com, COST $48 for 2 minutes to $800 for 60 minutes

For those who yearn to experience sky diving but are afraid of heights, technology has caught up with your desires. A state-of-the-art wind tunnel allows you to stay afloat and it replicates the act of free-falling so accurately, sky diving teams practice their synchronized routines here.

I'LL GET YOU, RED BARON

Back in the 1920s, teams of pilots would land near barns on rural farms and request to use fields as runways from which to stage air shows and offer plane rides. Known as barnstormers, these stuntmen would draw townsfolk to their performances, ever-perfecting the spins, dives and barrel rolls that would come to define their particular brand of entertainment. These days, you can still take a spin in a vintage biplane.

Rhinebeck Aerodrome, Rhinebeck, N.Y., 845-752-3200, oldrhinebeck.org, COST $65

The Aerodrome has been pulling not only townsfolk, but a greater number of international travelers to watch vintage biplanes in action. For a reasonable $65, you can fly from the Aerodrome's airstrip to the Hudson River and back. But even if you don't want to ascend in an open-cockpit 4-seater 1929 New Standard D-25, the Aerodrome is worth a drive to watch authentic WWI planes and barnstormers perform aerial maneuvers and mock dogfights.

Summit Scenic Flights, Lancaster, N.H., 603-915-3438, summitscenicflights.com, COST $220 for two people, 30 minutes.

Soar above the highest mountain peak in the United States - Mt. Washington - in a reproduced 1934 YMF5 WACO biplane. Wearing leather helmets and goggles fuels the fantasy that you may very well cross paths with a WWII Flying Ace.

Owl's Head Transportation Museum, Owl's Head, Maine, 207-594-4418, ohtm.org, COST $95 in '78 Piper Cub, $200 in '41 Stearman (members only).

Plumes of water smashing against the cliffs of craggy headlands pass beneath you like a moving postcard. This scenic flight is so popular, it is offered as a thank-you for museum volunteers - making it well worth the $40 membership fee to buy a ticket.

WARM AIR RISING

One of the most surprising aspects of flying in a hot-air balloon is how utterly quiet and serene it is. You expect loud rushes of wind, and instead feel a beguiling sense of calm as, unencumbered by earthly physics, you see the most stunning panoramas. Rides generally last about an hour, although inflation, landing and - in most cases - celebratory Champagne can stretch the experience to three hours.

Red Rose Balloons, Canton Center, Conn., 860-693-6903, redroseballoon.com, COST $300 a person

Romantically named after the first guest and often called upon for "proposal flights," Red Rose takes only two at a time, in a flaming red balloon, above the verdant, rolling hills of upstate Connecticut.

A&a Balloon Rides, Salem, N.H., 877-262-8441, balloonridesnh.com, COST $200 a person

Enamored of flying at a young age, but extremely sensitive to motion sickness, Andre Boucher discovered on his inaugural balloon flight 20 years ago that this form of flying did not make him ill. He was hooked enough to make flying hot-air balloons a full-time vocation and now governs the "Bearship" - a teddy-bear-adorned balloon that always elicits pointing and waving from those on terra firma.

Balloons of Vermont, Quechee, Vt., 802-291-4887, balloonsofvermont.com, COST $265 a person

Rising peacefully over Quechee Gorge, you'll thrill to white water - without getting wet - near the workshop of world-renowned glassmaker Simon Pearce.

Above Realty Inc., Jericho, Vt., 877-386-7473, balloonvermont.com, COST $265

Drift over cows grazing in lush pastures and the luminous water of Lake Champlain, nearly brushing mountainside treetops before coming in for a gentle landing.

U.S. Hot Air Balloon, Bird-in-Hand, Pa., 800-763-5987, ushotairballoon.com, COST $174 a person

Quilt-like fields and Amish farmhouses unfold below you as you float on placid breezes. Savor Amish Country from a very different perspective.

GLIDING

Towed up via noisy prop plane and then released, you'll find riding in a glider is a bit like sky diving, though you're snug in the cockpit of a plane, albeit a tiny one without engines. Here are several places to tag along with an experienced glider pilot, who will gauge your stomach for excitement and ride the thermals to your taste.

Stowe Soaring, Morrisville, Vt., 800-898-7845, stowesoaring.com, COST $99 (for a 10-minute taste) to $199 (for a 40-minute thrill)

These rare gliders can accommodate two riders in addition to the pilot. According to owner Don Post, "Besides being able to enjoy the experience with a friend, the views are fantastic - the Green Mountains, Lake Champlain and the Adirondacks, and the White Mountains in New Hampshire. After the tow, gliding is quiet - just the sound of the wind - and is really an amazing experience."

Franconia Soaring, Franconia, N.H., 603-823-5034, franconiasoaring.org, COST $100 for 15 minutes, $150 for 35 minutes

Considered some of the best ridge and thermal soaring in the Northeast, this company will have you fly eye to eye with eagles and hawks as you pass over alluring mountain summits and the Appalachian Trail.

Harris Hill Soaring, Elmira, N.Y., 607-734-0641, harrishillsoaring.org, COST $70-$80

Children and 90-year-olds have chosen to fly from this popular airport that also houses the definitive Museum of Soaring. Skimming over Watkins Glen and Seneca Lake, you'll enjoy this graceful way to absorb the beauty of the Finger Lakes region.

OTHER WAYS TO FLY

Summit Air Sports, Hang Gliding, Bellefonte, Pa., 814-571-1745, summitairsports.net, COST $130 for one tandem flight

Hang gliding seems to have been devised by those who wished to cling to kites when they went aloft. Here, you'll be amply rewarded by expansive views of the Susquehanna River from a hang-gliding hangout at Hyner View State Park.

New York Trapeze School, Manhattan, 212-242-TSNY, newyork.trapezeschool.com, COST $47-$65 per class

It's all about facing fear, harnessing the power of your own body and letting go. Wizards of the swinging bars take you through your first jump - from a 23-foot perch - to the ultimately gratifying experience of release and catch. If you are like many who go just for a taste, you'll end up signing on for subsequent classes right then and there.

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Hot Air Balloon Festival Takes Utah's Ogden Valley to New Heights

2009-08-27T23:56:00.000-07:00

Eden, UT - The serenity of an August sunrise is suddenly punctuated by the roar from two 12 million BTU propane burners. The wicker basket rises imperceptibly from the ground, and we're gently flying.

Balloon pilot Russ Griffes of American Fork, Utah, skillfully guides our craft between about a dozen others, slowly rising above Wolf Creek Utah's verdant Festival Field as the first rays of morning sun beam from behind the mountain ridges to our east. Except for an occasional burst of heat from the burners, the smooth tranquility is unmatched on a summer morning. Griffes instinctively seeks out different air currents at various altitudes to gently circle the Festival Field not once, but twice, as other vessels take to the skies before we slowly drift off to the north.

There are many ways to enjoy the off-season in ski country, but none more unique than the 15th Annual Ogden Valley Balloon and Artist Festival, taking place throughout this weekend at Wolf Creek Utah and their adjacent ski resort located in the tiny hamlet of Eden, northeast of Ogden and at the base of the steep road leading to Powder Mountain ski area. The full event calendar includes not only hot air balloons but also arts and crafts, international foods, musical entertainment, kids' games, a Mountain Man Rendezvous, climbing wall and Plein Air art competition.

The Entertainment Valley and Entertainment Mountain stages at Wolf Creek Utah Ski Resort feature a full lineup from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., with a steady stream of diverse musical acts on each platform including Amir Jackson, McCall Erickson, High Water, the Ogden Valley Chamber Orchestra, the Sage Junction Band, the Ghetto Blasters Band and Danielle Vaughn. Wolf Creek Utah Ski Resort is also the venue for the arts and crafts exhibits, international food booths, Saturday's Plein Air art competition and more. Scenic chairlift rides are offered for a nominal fee.

Beginning at 5:30 p.m. the activity shifts to Festival Field, one mile north of the four-way stop in Eden for Saturday night's all-you-can-eat dinner and more music from Che'Zuro, Pladdohg and Shades of Grey. Saturday night's Balloon Glow, when the crafts' propane burners illuminate their canopies brightly against the night sky, shouldn't be missed.

The highlights of the Festival, however, are the launches of the event's namesake hot air balloons. A balloon launch takes place, weather permitting, at 7 a.m. each morning while an all-you-can-eat breakfast is served at Festival Field for $8.00. For those with the urge to take flight, pilots will bring you along for $175 per person.

For those who equate flying with turbulence, gliding through the morning stillness in a hot air balloon is a whole new experience. Close your eyes, and you wouldn't even realize that you're in the air. But it's impossible to shut out the stunning views of the Utah landscape stretching in every direction, from the low foothills at the base of the Powder Mountain access road to the craggy peaks looming above the ski slopes of nearby Snowbasin.

Griffes has only been flying hot air balloons for three years, but has yearned to take flight since his first tethered balloon ride as an infant. After moving to Utah from California and finding out that Utah is, in his words, a "Mecca" for hot air ballooning, Griffes told his wife, "Honey, we've got to have one!

"We have the canyons and the rivers, and the lakes and the streams, the valleys and the hills...and that creates winds at different levels, so there's a lot of flyability here," Griffes explains. "You can go 200 feet each direction and go in a different direction. It's really neat. We have people come from all over the world to fly here. We can do a lot of games and come back to the field, and that just doesn't happen in a lot of other places."

One nearby balloon flies both the U.S. and Canadian flags. Another, the gigantic Energizer Bunny, a.k.a. the "Hot Hare" is based in Missouri. Griffes, however, seems to know most of his fellow pilots and calls out greetings as we pass by one another in the morning stillness. I'm snapping photos like a madman, but there are far more people on the ground taking pictures of us.

Two hours, however, pass like seconds, and before long Griffes is in radio communication with his wife driving their chase vehicle, coordinating a place to land. Griffes spots a vacant field and is ready to put down before we crest a rise and he spots for the first time a barbed wire fence guarding his intended landing zone. We thus put down a bit earlier than planned, his $45,000 aircraft bumping the land with a thud before bouncing once and coming to rest in dry brush next to a new road paved for the next phase of vacation residences.

The Hot Hare is deflating in an adjacent field. "That's what happens when the Bunny's batteries run out," Griffes quips.

I get a taste for just how much work is involved in ballooning as I help Griffes, his family and friends "burp" the balloon and stuff it into what seems like an impossibly small duffel bag. Surprisingly, yet predictably it fits, and I climb into the back of their Suburban for the short ride back to Festival Field.

For those interested in attending this weekend's 15th Annual Ogden Valley Balloon and Artist Festival, visit the Festival's website for more information at www.ogdenvalleyballoonfestival.com. Except for the balloon rides, kids' games and rides, chairlift rides and the climbing wall, all activities and exhibits are free of charge to attend.

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Fauquier from 4,000 feet

2009-08-26T23:55:00.000-07:00

The fog burned off, the breeze picked up, and a dozen hot-air balloons roared to life yesterday morning at the Flying Circus Airshow in Fauquier County.

They looked glamorous, their flame-belching burners lofting bright ripstop nylon domes against blue sky.

Up-and-down motion is no problem for these modern-day balloons, which can lift a passenger-laden craft hundreds of feet per minute.

But balloons don't steer. Where they go depends on the wind.

So for every breeze-blown basket at the airshow's annual balloon festival, which continues today, someone has to chase along on the ground.

For pilot Ken Krieger and his Gone With the Wind balloon, the designated chasers were son Evan Krieger and friend David Berka.

All three are from upstate New York, utterly unfamiliar with the back roads of Fauquier. That just made it interesting.

"We don't know where we're going, and we don't care," Berka said with bravado as he and Evan Krieger steered a conversion van hauling a trailer onto U.S. 17.

They kept the balloon in sight as they rode, watching it soar to 2,500 feet, then to 4,000--one of the day's highest flights.

It blew west over cattle-dotted fields and silver-green treetops and big round bales of hay.

Below, Krieger turned left off U.S. 17 onto Morgansburg Road. For a second, neither he nor Berka could see their balloon.

Then they caught a flash of color low in the sky.

"That's him, right there!" Krieger said.

"How's that for nailing it?" Berka said. "We're right on him."

To get to the balloon they had to drive onto private property. People are usually tickled to see a balloon land on their property, Berka said, but he always stops to ask before taking the van and trailer too far.

Yesterday, the homeowner cheerfully waved them on to the cow pasture where the balloon awaited. He asked only that they shut the gate behind them.

The Gone With the Wind balloon had floated to a rest near a downed oak tree. Krieger and his passengers--Pete and Doris Minnix of Bedford County and Tim Karney of Gainesville--stood in the basket, the balloon still inflated in case they had to take off again.

Berka assured them they had permission to land.

"There's cow crap everywhere," Evan Krieger commented. "It's all dry," said his dad.

Crew and passengers maneuvered the balloon, called the "envelope," to the ground. They watched out for brambles, which could rip the fabric. Then they squeezed the air out and packed the balloon into the trailer.

Back on land the three passengers still seemed to be floating, grins stretching off their faces.

It wasn't frightening at all, they said.

"You're so busy looking out at how beautiful everything is, you're not thinking that you're suspended 4,000 feet in the air on 2 inches of plywood," Karney said. "You're just enjoying the experience."

Ken Krieger produced a bottle of sparkling wine and a round of plastic cups.

As he filled them for a toast, he explained about the balloonists' prayer, traditionally said at the beginning or end of a flight.

"I don't like to do it before a flight, because it doesn't exactly inspire confidence if your pilot is praying," he said.

Source

Organisers in balloon flight hope

2009-08-25T23:54:00.000-07:00

Organisers have promised do "everything they can" to get the balloons in the air during the final day of the Burnley balloon festival.

Hundreds of people attended the event at Townley Park on Saturday, but strong winds meant none of the hot air balloons were able to fly.

Although winds were light on Sunday morning, strong, gusts have been forecast for later in the evening.

Organisers say the showground still has lots of other entertainment.

Despite the setback on Saturday, crowds were still entertained by other events, such as motorcycle stunt riders.

"We don't need much wind to cause us a problem - anything above eight knots and these things start thrashing about all over the place," said spokesman Barry Clayson.

"There's loads to do on the showground as well, there's plenty of other things to see - we've got motorcycles that can come out in the rain, stunt drivers and things

"But really people want to see the balloons so we do everything we possibly can to get these balloons in the air."

Speaking on Sunday morning, Mr Clayson said the weather looked "a bit miserable" but no too windy.

The event takes place at the town's park from 1000 BST.

Source

First crossing of the Atlantic Ocean in a balloon accomplished in 1978

2009-08-24T23:53:00.000-07:00

August 17, 1978: Double Eagle II sets down in a barley field. The feat was the first successful crossing of the Atlantic Ocean in a balloon. Ben Abruzzo, Maxie Anderson, and Larry Newman left Presque Isle, Maine and 137 hours and 6 minutes later they landed in Miserey, France. This was the fourteenth attempt to cross the Atlantic using a balloon. The first try came in 1873 with the trip ending after 45 miles. By try #13, the two pilots were only 110 miles short of their goal when the gas bag ripped. Two flights vanished over the ocean (#4 in 1970 and #6 in 1974) killing the four balloonists. In 1974 with attempt #7, the balloon burst, killing the lone occupant.

Double Eagle II was built and designed by Ed Yost. The balloon held 160,000 cubic feet of helium. The attached gondola was named "The Spirit of Albuquerque" and measured 15 x 7 x 4.5 feet. The three men flew 3,107.6 miles in 5 days, 17 hours, and 6 minutes. The gondola was equipped with a twin hulled catamaran and would float should they need to make an emergency water landing. Newman also brought a hang glider intending to glide to a landing. However, it was jettisoned as ballast the day before.

Anderson and Abruzzo, both businessmen in Albuquerque, New Mexico, had tried to cross the ocean in Double Eagle I in 1977 – try #11 – but they were forced to ditch west of Iceland after looping east of Greenland. The smaller balloon was battered by storms after a delayed lift off and the ride ended after 65.5 hours. By 1978, the businessmen were both in their early forties while Newman, a hang glider manufacturer, was in his twenties. All three were experienced aviators in hot air balloons, hang gliders, and airplanes.

They had learned form earlier mistakes and managed to sail in over France. They looked for a promising spot to land. They were told the Le Bourget Airport had been closed for them. It was the airport used by Charles Lindbergh after his successful transatlantic flight. The crew was afraid of harming the people who had gathered to watch the landing of the Double Eagle II. They sailed on to safely land in the barley field, the first transcontinental balloon to alight on dry land.

"Another term for balloon is bad breath holder." - Demetri Martin

"My dream date is a tall, dark, handsome, blue eyed man with a bubble butt who will whisk me away to Paris in a hot air balloon to wine me, dine me ..." - Karen McDougal

"The jet stream is a very strong force and pushing a balloon into it is like pushing up against a brick wall, but once we got into it, we found that, remarkably, the balloon went whatever speed the wind went." - Richard Branson

"Well, the odds must be against anybody being able to fly around the world in a balloon on the first attempt. All of us who are attempting to go around the world in balloons are effectively flying in experimental craft because these craft cannot be tested." - Richard Branson

Source

Hot-air balloon collides with power line

2009-08-23T23:52:00.000-07:00

HUNDREDS of homes were left without power yesterday evening (Sunday, August 16) after a hot-air balloon crashed into a power line near Harborough.
The incident happened at about 7.45pm in East Langton and knocked-out electricity for 30 minutes.

A spokesman for Central Networks confirmed this morning (Monday, August 17) that the cause was a hot-air balloon colliding with a power line near to the railway bridge and train line on the B6047 close to the McDonald's roundabout on the A6.

It is believed the people in the balloon escaped unharmed.

Central Networks said about 351 properties were without power until 8.05pm.

*Do you know the pilot of the hot-air balloon? Contact the newsdesk on 01858 436008.

Source

Just hot air as wind grounds balloon over Victoria Park

2009-08-22T23:51:00.000-07:00

HUNDREDS of people were disappointed that they couldn’t go for a ‘spin’ in a hot air balloon over East London’s Victoria Park at the weekend.

Windy conditions kept the 60ft high balloon firmly tethered to the ground, both Saturday and yesterday.

Operators planning to take the public up 90ft above the park for a bird’s eye view of proposals for the park were afraid the breezy conditions would have swept the balloon up, up and away.

LOTTERY BID

The hot-air balloon was to be the main attraction in a two-day public consultation in Tower Hamlets and Hackney by local authority officials who are bidding for Lottery cash to revamp the park before the 2012 Olympics.

Draft plans for its future went on show in the park. Tower Hamlets has already allocated £5 million towards the restoration and hoped to use the hot-air balloon to win public backing to pass the final stage in getting National Heritage to lob in another £5m ‘match funding’.

Consultations last year have already brought suggestions including an urban beach, better play areas and sports pitches, a skate-park, an additional café and more planting and landscaping.

Proposals for Vicky Park are online here. Final plans will be ready in October before they are submitted to the Heritage Lottery Fund in December.

Source

Hot-air balloon rides become occasions for celebration

2009-08-21T23:33:00.000-07:00

COLUMBIA — Jocelyn Ash was thrilled last week to be soaring through the air in a giant, red gumball machine.

Jocelyn, 6, was taking her first hot-air balloon ride over Columbia.

Her father, Tony, is with the Army National Guard in Afghanistan. He set up the ride for his daughter and his wife, Aubrey, who had wanted to go up in a hot-air balloon her entire life.

“I had told her that Dad set up a really cool surprise, but she had no idea,” Aubrey Ash said about her daughter's experience.

There seems to be a trend toward making celebrations special by signing up for a hot-air balloon ride. Jan and Gary Sines, owners of BalloonStormers, said half their rides are contracted to celebrate a birthday, anniversary, marriage proposal or other occasion. Jan Sines said people have even flown in the middle of winter as a Christmas gift.

“We have had several people say they are crossing it off their ‘bucket list,’” she said.

Thirteen-year-old Koby Gilleland celebrated his birthday July 7 in a balloon.

After spotting them in the air when he was a child, Koby mentioned to his family that it would be fun to ride in one. So his grandmother took a ride with him, his sister Kaydee and a good friend.

Koby said they flew low so he could float down by the trees and pick leaves, then rose high in the air where the houses on the ground looked tiny.

“I just can’t put into words when you get up there how exciting it is,” Koby's grandmother Joan Gleb said.

Gleb bought her grandson a shirt from BalloonStormers to remember the event and customized it by writing: “13. Wild and Adventurous!”

Because people see balloon rides as delivering a special memory, Jan Sines said they encourage riders to photograph the experience. Passengers can also help to inflate the balloon, and every trip ends with a champagne toast.

Mabel Fischer celebrated her 90th birthday last August by seeing the world from a balloon with her sister.

“To me, it’s the most wonderful thing I ever did,” Fischer said.

She said she loved being able to see the town from a bird's perspective and fondly remembers going over a lake.

“We could see our reflections, and I leaned over and wished myself a happy birthday,” she said.

Source

Outside Guide: Air Sports

2009-08-20T01:25:00.000-07:00

As Leonardo da Vinci observed, "When once you have tasted flight, you will forever walk the earth with your eyes turned skyward, for there you have been, and there you will always long to return."

It should be added that if you've never flown, you will always wonder what you are missing.

Colorado's Front Range offers excellent conditions for a wide variety of air sports, as well as spectacular scenery to view from the air. Here are nine ways to enjoy aviation — some just take you along for the ride while others let you take the controls and become pilot in command.

1. Mile Hi Skydiving Center

For the ultimate thrill seeker, skydiving offers the opportunity to conquer one's fears, feel the rush of incredible speed, view spectacular scenery and walk away with well-earned bragging rights. A quick flight up to 17,500 feet and it's time to jump. After a breathtaking 130-mph, one-minute freefall, your instructor will open your parachute. Then it's an easy five-minute glide down to landing, while you enjoy a stunning view of the mountains and nearby Longs Peak.

Mile Hi Skydiving Center serves everyone from beginners to world-class competitors. For first-timers, a tandem skydive with a licensed instructor is $209, including preflight training, all the necessary equipment and the one-way plane ride. Watch that first step, it's a doozy! 229 Airport Road, Hangar 34G, Longmont; 303-702-9911, mile-hi-skydiving.com

2. Powered paragliders (PPGs)

The powered paraglider is probably one of the newest forms of recreational aviation. The PPG consists of a motor with a propeller worn on the pilot's back and a paragliding wing. The pilot launches by running and pulling the wing to inflate it, somewhat like launching a kite. The motor allows the pilot to climb.

There is no license required to fly a PPG, however thorough training by a qualified instructor is important for safety. Starting at around

$6,500 for a kit, the PPG is also one of the least-expensive powered aircraft available. To fly like a bird, swooping over trees and dragging your feet in ponds, the PPG is the perfect aircraft.

To learn more about flying PPGs across the Front Range, join the flock's yahoo group for information on training and upcoming flying events. Vance Brand Airport, Longmont; 303-437-7844, groups.yahoo.com/group/ppgflock

3. Mile High Skyride

Aviation enthusiasts eager for a bit of nostalgia will find a ride in a World War II warbird offers the experience of a lifetime. One might be surprised at the variety of aircraft locally owned and available for rides.

Mile High Skyride can put you in the cockpit behind the roaring engine of an AT-6 Texan trainer or a rare two-seat British Spitfire. Both aircraft feature dual controls so, under the pilot's close supervision, you can even get a little stick time. To really get a feel for what the aircraft were designed for and are capable of, ask the pilot to demonstrate some combat maneuvers! A 40-minute ride in the AT-6 runs $400 and will cost in the range of $2,000 in the Spitfire. 5534 Independence Road, Boulder; 303-527-1122, milehighskyride.com

4. Mile High Gliding

Soaring in a sailplane may just be the ultimate way to take advantage of the local terrain and resulting flying conditions. Nestled near the Boulder Flatirons, Mile High Gliding provides an excellent location to ride rising thermals in the summer and mountain waves in the winter. When the tow plane releases you high above Boulder, enjoy views of downtown and the University of Colorado, with the Rocky Mountains in the background as you quietly spiral back down to earth. Or, take a longer flight and experience smooth aerobatic maneuvers. A 15-minute City Flight starts at $79 for one passenger and $99 for two, with longer flights available. Flight training typically costs about $70 per lesson. 5534 Independence Road, Boulder; 303-527-1122, milehighgliding.com

5. Skyraider Aviation

If you've dreamed of becoming a pilot, new sport pilot and light sport aircraft categories established by the FAA in 2004 have made recreational aviation less complicated and more affordable than ever. Under the new rules, a person can become a certificated pilot in half the training time previously required. Accordingly, the sport pilot certificate has fewer flight privileges, however many people are finding that the light sport restrictions don't limit the fun.

Skyraider Aviation was the first local flight school to offer training in light sport aircraft and remains a top choice for sport pilots. The school has three different light sport aircraft in its fleet. Many pilots find the light sport aircraft to be sporty and responsive in comparison to other training aircraft. A 45-minute introductory flight lesson is $99. Flight training starts at $150 per hour, including the aircraft rental and flight instructor. 395 Airport Drive, Erie; 303-926-0114, skyraideraviation.com

6. Rotors of the Rockies Inc.

The helicopter brings a whole new dimension to flying. The ability to take off and land vertically, hover and fly low to the ground is not only cool, but also makes helicopters fun and engaging to fly. These flight characteristics as well as the great visibility make for excellent sightseeing. During summertime you can remove the doors and feel the wind rush by as you glide through the air.

Rotors of the Rockies offers flight training, charter service and sightseeing tours from Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport. Enjoy a half-hour flight over Denver landmarks or the foothills with a view of the sunset like no other for $150. To pursue a pilot certificate, training starts at $380 per hour, including the helicopter rental and flight instructor. 11915 Airport Way, Broomfield; 303-635-0496, rotorsoftherockies.com

7. SkyVenture Colorado

To experience the thrill of free falling without the necessity of jumping out of a perfectly good airplane, SkyVenture Colorado offers indoor skydiving in a vertical wind tunnel. No experience is necessary — just step out into the flight chamber and feel the rush of 120-mph winds.

During an introductory flight, beginners learn the basic freefall position under the close guidance of an instructor. Additional skills may be learned during subsequent flights and experienced skydivers may use the wind tunnel to finely hone their technique.

An introductory experience, two one-minute flights, starts at $43 for kids under 12 and $48 for those 13 and older, including all the necessary apparel and instructor supervision. Reservations are recommended. 9230 Park Meadows Drive, Lone Tree; 303-768-9000, skyventurecolorado.com

8. Colorado Balloon Club

If a smooth, peaceful ride on the wind in the cool of the early morning sounds good, hot air ballooning is the way to go. A balloon ride offers the chance to drift along with the wind, barely feeling movement, and enjoy the Colorado scenery with friends. The balloon pilot controls ascent and descent and the day's winds decide where the ride will take you.

The Colorado Balloon Club holds monthly events for members and those who would like to learn about ballooning at locations all along the Front Range. A favorite spot is Chatfield State Park, which features beautiful views, typically favorable flying conditions, and the opportunity to splash and dash in Chatfield Reservoir. A typical balloon ride lasts about an hour and starts at $175 per person. Chatfield State Park — Balloon Port, 11500 N. Roxborough Park Road, Littleton; 303-699-6302, coloradoballoonclub.net

9. Young Eagles Program

Young people ages 8 to 17 can experience the thrill of an airplane ride free of charge, courtesy of the Experimental Aircraft Association's Young Eagles Program. Designed to spur kids' interest in aviation by providing a meaningful flight experience, the program offers rides to those who might not otherwise have the opportunity to fly.

EAA member pilots worldwide donate their time, piloting skills and the use of their aircraft to treat the kids to free rides — gladly accepting the kids' excitement and smiles upon return as payment. Launched with the support of legendary Gen. Chuck Yeager and now endorsed by actor and pilot Harrison Ford, the Young Eagles Program has flown over 1.4 million kids since it began in 1992. A Young Eagles Coordinator in your area can schedule a Young Eagles flight for your child. 877-806-8902, youngeagles.org

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Balloons soar over MetroWest for a good cause

2009-08-19T01:24:00.000-07:00

HUDSON —

Tranquility is what brings a balloonist to take to the sky in nothing but a basket, balloon and the power of hot air.

``It's a great escape when you're up there,'' said Bob Martel, a balloonist who helped coordinate the Hudson Elks' fifth annual Hot Air Balloon Festival.

Also, there's the look on kids' faces - and adults, for that matter.

``It's awe-inspiring to lots of people,'' said Martel.

This year's festival launched 14 over Hudson and other parts of MetroWest at dawn and again at dusk. They soared high enough over the trees to see the skyline of Boston about 30 miles away.

Money raised from admission goes to support the town's public library, as well as the Elks' own scholarships and charitable programs. Each year, it raises as much as $10,000, Martel said. Also, it's a way of introducing to the uninitiated a unique way to take to the skies.
``It's a great way for the pilots to show the magic of ballooning,'' said Martel.

In the afternoon, hundreds of people walked among dozens of sponsors' booths, where classic summertime fare like ice cream was sold alongside toys, apparel, handbags, books and other merchandise. Under a large pavilion, a band called The McMurphys played live music for the crowd.

Hudson native Lydia Caserta sat at a table under the pavilion with Tom Fitzgerald of Clinton - both signed up to be bone marrow donors at the festival. Caserta said she's attended the event before, and encouraged Fitzgerald to come for the first time yesterday.

``We'll check out the balloons,'' she said.

Marlborough residents Lorraine and Joseph Nadeau have been going to the festival for three years, and always look forward to it, they said. Lorraine Nadeau said she liked walking among all the different exhibits from sponsors, while her husband said yesterday had good weather for the festival.

``The atmosphere is great,'' he said.

Kim Caron traveled with her husband and children from New Hampshire to attend the Elk's festival.

``We're looking forward to the balloons,'' said Caron. ``We've never done anything like this before.''

Another balloonist, Rudi Sachenbacher, has participated in every year of the festival, and said piloting a balloon - and not knowing how long he'll be aloft and where he'll land - is part of ballooning's appeal.

``It's always a great way to raise funds - aside from the fact I love flying,'' said Sachenbacher. ``I happen to like that feeling: I like the feeling of not knowing what's in store.''

Today, a continental breakfast will be held at the Elks Lodge where participants can meet the pilots, and is scheduled for 8 a.m. to 9 a.m.

Source

Balloons and Tunes Hot Air Balloon and Music Festival

2009-08-18T01:22:00.000-07:00

Balloons and Tunes Hot Air Balloon and Music Festival runs Friday, Aug. 21 to Sunday, Aug. 23 at Beulah Park, 3811 Southwest Blvd, Grove City, Ohio 43123.

The Central Ohio Balloon Club will fill the air -- and offer tethered balloon rides -- with more than 30 hot air balloons. There will also be children's activities, artisans, music, a skateboarding demonstration, dancers, a magician and discussions of the science and history of ballooning.

Aug. 21: 3-10 p.m. Music includes “Rock the City” (Kiss tribute band) and “Dirty Deeds” (an AC/DC tribute band).

Aug. 22: 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Music includes Parrot Head party by the “Landsharks” (a Jimmy Buffett tribute band) and an evening performance by the “Blues Brothers” (a Blues Brothers tribute band).

Aug. 23: 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Local bands and entertainers.

Cost: $5 per person; kids under 5 are free; parking: $5

No tailgating, coolers or smoking.

Source

All aboard for a hot-air balloon ride

2009-08-17T01:21:00.000-07:00

If we're talking ourselves into a recovery, then so be it.

PERHAPS it's too soon to say the worst is over for the sharemarket but you'd never forgive me otherwise.

After all, the best part of a bull market is always the first few weeks.

Bull market? Already? Surely not.

But how else do you explain consumers, investors and even central banks becoming suddenly upbeat, egging each other on in a national mood swing apparently even more infectious than swine flu?

I'll have some of what they're having please. What's more, even normally reliable doomsayers have signed on.

The latest, brought to Australia last week by Treasury Asia Asset Management, is the Hong Kong-based uber bear Marc Faber ??? famous for his The Gloom, Boom & Doom Report, which is predominantly gloom with a good, or I should say bad, dash of doom while the boom is reserved for gold prices.

So does doom loom? Of course, or he wouldn't be Marc Faber, but it's in a form that you could come to like. He sees share prices rising an average 7 per cent to 8 per cent a year and by a lot more in emerging markets, even though "I'm ultra bearish about the world", predicting the mother of all crashes coming in the next five years.

Which would seem to put a cap on that 7 per cent to 8 per cent, only he sees future economic growth swinging between sudden surges and then busts thanks to the low interest rates and easy money policies of central banks around the world. But before year zero, share prices ??? or any other investment for that matter except government bonds which have to man the floodgates ??? must rise with all that liquidity being pumped into the global economy.

Rising commodity prices, a stronger dollar, surging share prices ??? you name it and it's part of a giant money bubble. They're all feeding each other so maybe it's more hot air balloon than bubble. Mind you, if we're talking ourselves into a recovery that's fine by me.

But maybe a money bubble isn't the only reason the sharemarket has jumped about 40 per cent since its March low.

It tracks the economy about a year in advance and, in putting the recovery in the early new year, its timing hasn't let it down.

As one engine conks out another fires up the economy. Just as the Government's cash splash is subsiding, its infrastructure spending takes over.

Ultra low interest rates are still doing their thing, especially for property prices, while the stronger dollar is pulling money into the country and keeping the banks profitable.

China is spending big again ??? possibly more in a speculative way rather than an economic frenzy but who's looking a gift dragon in the mouth? And even if that fizzles out, the US is forecast to recover later this year. Sure, the prices of exports have dropped but we're selling more.

As for jobs, on the whole bosses aren't hiring but they aren't firing either. Even the sharemarket is kicking in. Bubble or not, it's another confidence booster to pull the economy up. So you may as well go along for the ride, bumpy as it will be. Besides, a cash management trust earning 2 per cent ??? that 7 per cent a year ago looks positively generous ??? or about 4 per cent in an online account, won't make you rich after tax and inflation.

Source

Hugging the ground: Citrus Classic Balloon Festival

2009-08-16T02:38:00.000-07:00

The hot-air balloons didn't get far off the ground Saturday at the Citrus Classic Balloon Festival in Santa Paula, but those in attendance didn't seem to mind much.

Twenty balloons were due to take flight, but fog grounded them. Three miles of visibility is required for hot-air ballooning.

Organizers still lifted 10 of the balloons, and two gave "tethered rides" to participants.

The event drew scores of observers and photographers, who were invited up close to watch as balloonists first blew air into the colorful envelopes with giant fans, then blew flames into them.

Warming air inside gradually lifted the balloons and righted the baskets beneath them.

Some 300-400 people turned out for the festival, which featured activities all day long, including games for children, live music, and a wine and beer garden.

Source

Findlay skies to fill up with hot air balloons

2009-08-15T02:37:00.000-07:00

The skies in Findlay will come alive with more than 30 hot air balloons from Aug. 14 through 16 for the city’s 10th annual Flag City Balloon Fest.

The festival involves experienced balloon pilots from all over the country, who will compete against each other in a four- or five-mile radius to drop bean bags from thousands of feet in the air onto a marked spot on the ground.

Guests enter for free and watch the balloon competition in the sky while browsing food and arts vendors, viewing classic and sports car shows, military displays and climbing rock walls. Voices for Children, a legal advocacy group for children’s rights, will also set up inflated obstacle courses, kite flying activities, face painting and pony rides.

“My son is a pilot and I would go to these other events, and in 1999, there was so much hype about 2000 coming that I said we ought to have something like this in Findlay to celebrate the new millennium,” said Dan Clinger, who founded the festival in 2000.

Since then, he has found multiple sponsors, such as First Federal Bank and RCM Architects, to cover a $55,000 annual budget.

Though there is no cost for admission and parking, guests should bring cash for entering raffles, buying food or art and keeping the kids entertained, Clinger said. Most of the children’s activities will cost a small amount, but all the proceeds will benefit Voices for Children. Other raffles will benefit Cancer Patient Services or the United Way of Hancock County, which accumulated around $1,000 last year, he said.

Guests can also pay $20 for a tethered hot air balloon ride or around $40 for helicopter rides, Clinger said.

The festival will begin at 5 p.m. Aug. 14, and the balloons will take off at around 6 p.m. The next day, pilots will start about 7 a.m., and then prepare for another flight about 6 p.m. Aug. 16 will feature a morning flight at the same time.

Each pilot will compete for points that will earn them national credit and raise their rankings so they might be able to participate in the national Balloon Federation of America competitions in Battle Creek, Michigan in late August, Clinger said.

To navigate wind speeds and accurately land their bean bags on the marked spots, pilots have to raise and lower their balloons vertically to comply with the varying wind depending on altitude. Pilots can reach altitudes as high as 12,000 feet without requiring oxygen masks, Clinger said.

Costing as much as $40,000 to get started as a hot air balloon pilot, to purchase the basket and equipment, Clinger said this is an expensive hobby. That does not include the trailer balloon owners need to transport their massive equipment and the fabric for the balloon, which usually wears out after 400 to 500 hours of flying.

The festival will be located at Emory Adams Park, on the corner of 6th and Blanchard streets.

Source

Hot air balloon prop in climate change rally

2009-08-14T02:36:00.000-07:00

Americans for Prosperity’s 70-foot-tall hot air balloon will be in Evansville at 9 a.m. Thursday at Kleymeyer Park, 2303 First Avenue, for a discussion on American energy policy.

During the 1-1/2 hour event, organizers will discuss what they feel are the dangers climate change legislation poses to the nation’s economy.

Free tethered hot air balloon rides will be available, weather and wind permitting. Music and light refreshments will be provided.

Source

Ballooners take to the skies in annual hot air balloon flight

2009-08-13T02:35:00.000-07:00

Hot air balloons took to the sky Saturday morning for the annual Lake Travis Flight.

Dozens of balloons take part in the Central Texas Ballooning Association's flight every year.

"I've been ballooning since I was 13, and my dad's a pilot, so I've been around it for a long time," balloon pilot Cheri White said. "I love the peacefulness of it, the flying above the landscape. It's a beautiful way to see the earth and see Austin this morning."

That's just half the fun. White said the ballooning group is like one big family.

"Where you land, landowners are always really happy to see you," she said. "It's a good time."

To find out more about the balloons and crews who made the flight Saturday morning, visit Main.org/CTBA. To join, or just learn more, you can meet the group the second Monday of every month at 6:30 p.m. at Tres Amigos, on Highway 290 at Highway 183.

Source

Hot air balloons to fill the sky in Baton Rouge

2009-08-12T02:34:00.000-07:00

BATON ROUGE — Most people in Louisiana associate propane tanks and burners with crawfish boils, but for the many people headed to the Capitol City, it can mean only one thing — hot air ballooning.

About 40 brightly colored teardrop-shaped aircraft will fill the skies Aug. 7-9 as pilots from Louisiana and 10 other states compete in the Pennington Louisiana State Hot Air Balloon Championship. Balloon pilots fly their 65,000-90,000 cubic foot airships in pursuit of targets posted around the city and toss beanbags to see who was best able to navigate the winds.

Baton Rouge has hosted ballooning events for decades and for a while was the site of the national championship.

Ballooning Foundation Director and pilot George Richard says the race is "the best use of hot air in America," poking fun at the political hot air emitted by the state Legislature and Congress.

Sports Illustrated proclaimed the event one of "America's Top 25 Summer Essentials," he said, and AAA labeled it a "Travel Treasure."

Louisiana pilots include Ryan Richard, of Ruston, son of the event director; Gary Odom, of Ruston; Mark Evans, of Lafayette; Ted Habetz, of New Iberia; Bob Pulaski and David Miller, of Pineville; Leslie Jeansonne, of Prairieville; Karen Kent, of Port Allen; Robert Ambeau, of Gonzales; and Richard, Deanna Albaugh, John Good and Lamar Poole, of Baton Rouge.

About 60,000 spectators attend each year because they have the chance to wander between the massive balloons as they are inflating and watch as they take off from a field at the Pennington Biomedical Research facility along Perkins Road, Richard said.

While the balloons are aloft and between events, bands entertain the crowds. A large children's play area offers numerous amusements.

"The race keeps being well-attended because Louisiana delivers the best local hot air balloon race in the nation," Richard said. "Thirty-eight pilots from 11 states are flying back this year because they have fun, too. And it's an all-family free event that kids of all ages enjoy."

Leo Honeycutt, spokesman for the event, laid out the schedule.

Competition for State Balloon Champion is over a three-morning period, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Pilots meet at sunrise, get coordinates for drop sites and plot their routes as best they can, depending on wind currents.

In the "Pole Grab," pilots triangulate wind currents from a mile away aiming for a 30-foot-tall "Red Stick" on the top of which is a cash prize. They have one shot as they fly by the pole and sometimes pilots have to try to wait their turn to get to the pole — if they can find a dead spot or circular currents.

Musical entertainment starts at 3 p.m. Friday and Saturday and a Children's Village hosted by the Baton Rouge Recreation Department opens at 4 p.m.

Weather permitting, at 6 p.m., the U.S. Army "Black Daggers" skydiving team does stunts as it twirls down from the sky and 20 balloons launch in a mass ascension.

At 8 p.m. each night, balloons come back to Pennington for a nighttime "balloon glow," firing off burners to create seven-story-tall light bulbs. The crowd is encouraged to walk between the balloons or just sit back and "enjoy the glow."

Skydivers jump again wearing rockets for a light show amid the stars. A fireworks show set to music caps off each night.

The event and parking are free with food and drink booths on site.

Honeycutt recommends, "Bring a blanket and camera."

All events are subject to weather conditions.

Source

Stolen hot air balloon is found

2009-08-11T02:33:00.000-07:00

A HUGE hot air balloon which was taken from a farm near York has been found.
The Virgin balloon was taken along with a Land Rover and a trailer from the farm south of the city.

Now the balloon has been found just off the A64 in the West Yorkshire area. The car and trailer are still missing.

Virgin Balloon Flights spokesman Alexander Ferguson said: "We are very pleased to have this Virgin balloon and basket back as these are expensive and difficult to replace quickly.

"After rigorous safety checks with certified balloon inspectors, we have found they are completely undamaged."

Source

Hot air balloon almost lands on buses

2009-08-10T02:31:00.000-07:00

The hot air balloon landed down in the parking lot of First Student. This is where my bus that I drive would normally had been parked along with a lot more. But the buses were out transporting people to and from the Spiedie fest. The company transports Binghamton school district to school during the school year.
The garage is located on the service road in Hillcrest.

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Balloon fest a feast of thrills in Readington

2009-08-09T04:30:00.000-07:00

READINGTON — The festival gates had just opened Friday and the nearby fields were filling with carloads of families coming to opening day at the largest summertime hot-air balloon festival in North America.

The Quick Chek New Jersey Festival of Ballooning at Solberg-Hunterdon Airport is up and running, with more than 150,000 people expected for the hot-air balloons, family entertainment, rides, attractions, shopping and festival food.

Throughout the weekend children can check out the amusement rides, Ollie's Adventures and Belmont's Festival of Magic, and children of all ages can watch the Flying Wallendas perform their world-famous trapeze act.

The event's walkway also will be lined with companies such as Lay's Potato Chips, Hershey Chocolate, Cadbury Candies, Swedish Fish, Edy's Ice Cream and more handing out free samples of their goodies.

"We come every year. It's a family tradition," said Pam Kellett of Neptune, who enjoyed a fruit ice pop while walking the grounds with her husband Tim, and children Addie 13, Grace, 11, and Colin, 9.

"We love the fireworks," Colin said. "And we especially like the free junk food!"

Musical performances through the weekend are expected to include original Beach Boy Al Jardine and his Endless Summer Band, who performed Beach Boys favorites Friday night; Kool and the Gang on Saturday; and Grammy-winning vocalist Michael McDonald, who has had solo hits and was a member of the Doobie Brothers.

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Hot Air Balloons to Rise Over Michigan's Seven Lakes State Park July 25 & 26

2009-08-08T03:25:00.000-07:00

2009-07-24 21:47:02 - The 2009 Seven Lakes State Park Balloon Race will take place July 25 & 26, 2009. Balloon launches will occur both days weather permitting at 7pm in the grass area behind the Main Beach at Big Seven Lake.

Other activities are planned including a "walk in the balloons" after 2pm and tethered balloon rides after 5pm and a balloon glow about 9:30pm... all of course weather permitting. The park is located between Fenton and Holly between US-23 and Interstate 75. Take Grange Hall Road to Fish Lake Road to reach the park entrance. For more details contact the
park at 248-634-7271. The event is sponsored by Balloon Quest.

Ballooning is an incredible experience for both those on the ground and those in the gondola itself. Those who operate hot air balloons in Michigan love to share it with anyone daring enough to take flight. As an avid hot air balloon pilot since 1982 and fan of Michigan’s natural wonders, Scott Lorenz has been fortunate to see the beauty of Michigan from a slightly above the treetops.

“Just about every year we fly directly over a great blue heron rookery located on an island in Kensington Park’s Kent Lake near Milford. It’s pretty incredible to see dozens of these giant birds with their six-foot wing spans hovering around their nests. We’ve peered down directly into their bushel basket sized nests with one or two eggs,” says Lorenz, President of Westwind Balloon Company. www.westwindcos.com/balloon/

“I flew an Ornithologist from the University of Michigan a few years ago and he helped me identify dozens of birds by sight and sound. Now I recognize the sweet call of Sand Hill Cranes half a mile away and tell my passengers to keep an eye out for them. I am fortunate to meet some incredible people in my business and learn something from every flight.” “In fact, I flew the Chief Meteorologist from Ann Arbor’s Weather Underground. Considering hot air ballooning is 100% weather related I thoroughly enjoyed our discussions about the nuances of Michigan weather at sunrise and sunset. Lorenz has flown some notables too including Lila Lazarus from FOX-2 along with a passenger whose last wish was to fly in a balloon, which was all caught on tape by the FOX-2 helicopter in hot pursuit. Legendary Detroit guitarist Josh White even brought his guitar along for a concert in the air. “There’s never a dull moment in this business.”

What’s the best time to go? Hot air balloons fly in Michigan May thru October. Lorenz says “springtime is nice, but summer’s pretty cool too and you can’t beat the fall colors in October!”

Most balloon rides last about one hour and Lorenz flies over the woods and streams of Kensington Park. He and several other pilot friends meet at Park 'n Ride area off Milford Road and I-96 (exit # 155) about 2 1/2 hours before sunset. From there he’ll launch helium balloons, determine the wind direction, then take a short drive to one of nine launch sites in the area that give the best views and best landing sites downwind.

“Sometimes the landing can be like taking an elevator ride and others can be a little more exciting that’s why great care is taken in making the ‘go’ or ‘no-go’ decision on each flight based upon the weather,” says Lorenz.”

What to wear? Lorenz suggests passengers wear tennis shoes and jeans. He says the air temp “upstairs” is within a couple degrees of ground temp so it’s not a factor. Cameras and video cameras are highly recommended to preserve the once in a lifetime moments while flying over the countryside.

Flights cost $695 for a private ride which is two passengers and the pilot. All flights are pre-paid. Visa, MasterCard, AMEX, Discover and PayPal are accepted. Gift certificates are available.
To really appreciate all that Michigan has to offer, call a balloonist and schedule a flight today, because if you seek a pleasant peninsula, look around you … the view is better from above.

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New Jersey’s Hot Air Balloon Festival is here

2009-08-07T02:55:00.000-07:00

At Warren County Farmers' Fair July 26-Aug. 1

A two-for-one New Jersey event starts this weekend with the 9th Annual Hot Air Balloon Festival and the 72nd Annual Warren County Farmers' Fair kicking off on Sunday in Harmony Township.

Admission to the fair is $5 for adults and $3 for ages 5-12. Children 4 and under are admitted free. Parking is free as well. Monday through Friday admission special allows children 12 years and under in free of charge until 4:00 pm.

Included in the admission price to the Fair is the Hot Air Balloon Festival. This year the 9th Annual Hot Air Balloon Festival will feature mass hot air balloon launches every evening at 6:30 pm. The Balloon Festival runs in conjunction with the Fair and admission into the Fair allows spectators to view the balloons up close from the balloon port on Strykers Road.
This year the festival will be featuring a competition — "Megaphone Monday and Tuesday" — that will involve the children. Children will cheer on pilots in a race to inflate their balloon the fastest. The winning team wins prize money donated to the charity of their choice. Wednesday night, July 29, will be the 3rd annual Bicycle Balloon Race, with a rain date of Thursday, July 30. Bikers and Balloonists pair up for an exciting race where the biker rides in the balloon and the bike is strapped onto the basket. Proceeds from the race all go to local charity, the ADM Foundation.

Year after year, the Fair attracts youth of all ages to its 4-H and FFA exhibits and competitions, demolition derbies, craft and handwork displays, mud bogs, animal competitions, live entertainment, horse shows and more. Fair highlights also include tractor displays and pulls, the Kid's Corral, the popular Hot Air Balloon Festival and the Traditional Arts Expo. Opening Day starts with an Open Horse Show, Lawn Mower racing in the main arena that are free of charge to fairgoers, and mass hot air balloon launches each evening.

For families with small children the fair can keep them entertained for hours for free. Drop by the animal barns to see cows, pigs, horses, rabbits and more. Catch a clown show at the Kids' Corral, where everything is free of charge for fairgoers and their children.

While at the Kids' Corral participate in one of the contest from the Stick Pony races for little ones to Fear Factor Veggie Style for the more brave. Or participate in the Pie Eating, Bubble Gum Blowing or Hay Bale Rolling contest. Make some crafts, healthy snacks, make a quilt square for the Big Quilt Picture Project or do some coloring. There are plenty of activities from which to choose.

Ryan Pelton, Elvis Impersonator is back by popular demand. Grandstand seating is available for $10 per person. Pelton is one of the most popular Elvis impersonators performing today.

Some other highlights of the Fair include car shows, horse shows and Traditional Arts Expo. The Warren Hills FFA Alumni Association is again organizing their annual car show with corvettes, street rods, customs, diesels and more on display. Dirt Track Heroes is organized and presented by the Harmony Speedway Historical Society. Those who remember attending dirt track races in Harmony, Flemington and Nazareth, will delight in meeting stock car drivers from the 60's, who will be displaying their rebuilt winning cars, trophies and memorabilia. Current day drivers will be in attendance as well. Equestrian events include the Open Horse Show on opening day, 4-H Horse Drill Team, a Dressage Demonstration and Nine Pines Open Western and English Pleasure Show.

The 10th Annual Traditional Arts Expo invites guests to explore the talents of the area's artisans. The time-honored talents of the Evening Star Quilt Guild, the Hunterdon County Quilt Guild, the Warren County Needle Arts Guild, and the Lost Art Lacers of North Jersey will be showcased during daily exhibits and demonstrations. Be sure to vote for your favorite in the "Viewer's Choice" quilt contest at the Traditional Arts Building.

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Hot Air Balloon Nearly Hits Owasso Home

2009-08-06T02:32:00.000-07:00

OWASSO, OK -- An Owasso man's home had a close encounter with a hot air balloon.

John Fenrich and his grandson, Alex, were driving home from breakfast Saturday morning when they saw a hot air balloon floating over their neighborhood.

As they got closer to home, Fenrich says it was obvious that the balloon was coming down, over his house.

"The pilot was going hot and heavy with the flames to get it over my house," Fenrich said. "The basket just missed the house."

Pictured to the right, Fenrich sent a photo of the close call.

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Callaway Gardens - Sky High Hot Air Balloon Festival

2009-08-05T02:03:00.000-07:00

A Top Labor Day Weekend Destination - The annual Callaway Gardens Sky High Hot Air Balloon Festival, which takes place each year during Labor Day Weekend, features old-fashioned fun and the beauty of the sky filled with colorful hot air balloons. Highlights include balloon rides, family-friendly activities, music, exhibits, demonstrations and more. Friday evening features a gorgeous balloon glow at Robin Lake Beach.

Sky High Hot Air Balloon packages, starting at, $149 include accommodations, tickets for admission to Callaway Gardens and to the Sky High Hot Air Balloon Festival, some meals, tickets for selected activities and more. The 2009 Festival takes place September 4 - 6, 2009. Activities, times and locations are subject to change and all hot air balloon activities depend on suitable weather conditions as determined by Callaway Gardens.

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Hot Air Ballooning: A Family Affair

2009-08-04T01:22:00.000-07:00

Piloting hot air balloons is a family ordeal, according to some balloonists who gathered in Galesburg this weekend for the Great Balloon Race at Lake Storey.

A 21-year veteran of piloting hot air balloons, Al Reusch, says he enjoys bringing his family with him to events he flies at for their help and to kill time if necessary. He says he became interested in ballooning after an event in his hometown of Macomb over two decades ago.

Reusch tells WGIL he was glad to get, what he called, forced into ballooning early in his life.

"I met a pilot from Louisville, Kentucky and I just casually said to him 'man, this is fun (and) as soon as my kids grow up and are gone I'm gonna do hot air ballooning. ' He said do it now while the kids are small...they'll love doing it. So my kids were four or five years old when we started ballooning, and now he's a pilot at 27 (years old). And a very good pilot by the way."

Reusch's son, Dan, was also at the event piloting his own balloon and thanked his dad for the great training which makes him a better pilot.

Reusch says a balloon is like a car, the more bells and whistles you want on it the more is costs. But he says you can get a nice used balloon set up for about $15,000.

Reusch says he was looking forward to this weekend's activities, including when balloonists try to land their hot air balloons safely on targets.

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Candy Spiegel: Watching the magic take flight

2009-08-03T01:18:00.000-07:00

There is another struggle that occurs annually in my household — I want to spend every waking moment at the festival, but my husband would prefer to relax in the comfort of his own home.

This year, since it was our fifth wedding anniversary, we reached a truce. We planned to spend Friday celebrating our anniversary and Saturday at the event in Howell.

However, even the best laid plans rarely turn out the way they were intended.

So, I found myself at home on the first evening of Balloonfest, watching live coverage of the festivities on the Web at www.livingstondaily.com. Fortunately, weather conditions were not immediately ideal, and the mass balloon launch was delayed, so I didn't miss anything spectacular.

I watched a few balloons launch via the Internet, and then went outside to see what I could see. It took all of about 30 seconds of watching the balloons in the distance to be overcome with balloon fever. My pulse quickened, my heart began to race, adrenaline began flowing, and I knew I had to get closer. This wasn't a desire to see the balloons up close — it was a need to see them.

Perhaps because it was our anniversary, my husband humored me and agreed to take me balloon chasing.

He decided the freeway was the best route. I was worried because the minute we headed toward the freeway, I lost all sight of the balloons — but, thankfully, he was taking me, so I kept my opinion to myself.

Then we rounded a curve and I was treated to an amazing spectacle of hot-air balloons. There, in front of us, were a handful of balloons, with more rising over the trees every second.

Bouncing in my seat like a little kid, I begged him to stop so I could photograph the sight. He pulled into the rest area and I was out of the car before it came to a complete stop, running toward the hot-air balloons.

After a few photos, I became aware of my surroundings and noticed several other people had also pulled into the rest stop to enjoy the balloons.

It was a beautiful evening, but the whole atmosphere had a surreal sort of feel. The sun's rays were making the balloons brighter and more colorful than ever before.

Plus, the sound of the trucks idling in the rest area eliminated any other noise. There were a dozen or so of us sitting on the picnic tables, watching silently as the hot-air balloons sailed over Interstate 96.

Strange as it was to be hanging out with complete strangers, it was oddly comforting and we all knew we had witnessed something beautiful together.

We continued following the balloons into Marion Township and soon found ourselves in the middle of a hot-air balloon invasion.

Describing that experience is yet another challenge.

The closest thing I can think of is the magic felt as a child when being in the middle of an early snowstorm. Remember the feeling of being completely surrounded by large snowflakes falling from the sky?

Now, substitute hot-air balloons for the snowflakes, and you can begin to imagine the excitement of the balloon invasion.

No matter which direction we looked, there were hot-air balloons in various stages of flight, descent and landing all around us. We were, quite literally, surrounded by hot-air balloons.

I could not have chosen a better way to spend my anniversary. Thank you, Matt, for five wonderful years.

Source

Families say flying hot air balloons uplifting

2009-08-02T01:17:00.000-07:00

MIDDLETOWN — High winds grounded the hot air balloons the first night of the three-day MidFirst Ohio Challenge.

But balloon enthusiasts from near and far still were able to make it a real family event during the seventh annual hot air balloon festival at Middletown’s Smith Park.

“As my family gets older, balloon events are gonna be our family reunions,” said Ray Donner, a Louisville, Ky., pilot.

Wind gusts were about 21 mph at the time balloons were scheduled to launch, according to the National Weather Service in Wilmington.

While the balloons were kept down, it did nothing to dampen the competitive spirit of the Donner clan.

“Aviation’s in my blood. It’s in all our blood,” said Donner’s son, Nick, a commercial airline pilot. His mother is a UPS pilot and hot air balloon crew member, along with his younger sister.

Ray Donner became a balloon pilot in 1990 and Nick got his license at age 14. Ray got into competitions after his sons Nick and Chase became involved, said Nick Donner.

“It’s just something I wanted to do rather than just fly,” said Nick Donner, 25, about balloon competitions. In fact, the national balloon championship winner is traveling with his family for five straight weekends of competition.

Scott and Matt McClinton race against each other, even when they’re on the same team.

The father-and-son duo from Prospect, Ky., fly several corporate balloons professionally.

“We go to have a good time,” Scott McClinton, 45, said of the MidFirst challenge.

“The whole balloon community is a family,” said Matt McClinton, 20.

He enjoys competitions because it allows for a break for his father and him. For a vacation, he said, “some people go to the lake. We go to races.”

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Quick chek New Jersey Festival of Ballooning

2009-08-01T01:16:00.000-07:00

What: Largest summertime hot air balloon and music festival in North America

When: 1-10 p.m. Friday, 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday, 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday

Where: Soleberg Airport, Readington, New Jersey

How much: $17; $7, ages 4-12 in advance; $25; $10, ages 4-12 at gate; free, 3 and under.

Info: 1-800-HOT-AIR-9, http://www.balloonfestival.com

Don't miss: Balloon rides, both tethered and free-flight. Free-flight rides, lasting about an hour, are $200 per person in the morning and $225 in the evening. Tethered rides are $15 per person. All rides weather permitting.

Concerts: The fest has also become known for its big-name artists. This year's lineup features boy-band One Call, Disney's Meaghan Martin and Kool & the Gang on Saturday and Michael McDonald on Sunday.

Source

N.J. Balloon fest offers a lot more than hot air

2009-07-31T01:14:00.000-07:00

They come from 22 states, three countries, and even a galaxy far, far away. Up to 125 hot air balloons in a rainbow of colors and fantastic shapes will take to the skies over Hunterdon County Friday through Sunday for the 27th Annual Quick Chek New Jersey Festival of Ballooning.

Well, OK, it's not exactly intergalactic, but back by popular demand is the Darth Vader balloon, from its headquarters in Brussels, Belgium. ''We like to say 'let the flight be with you,' '' says festival executive producer Howard Freeman, who has run the event for 17 years. ''It's the largest summertime balloon festival in North America. We get upwards of 175,000 attendees.''

The 86-foot tall head of Darth Vader joins many festival favorites and some notable newcomers. Always popular are the Quick Chek Farm Fresh farmhouse balloon, complete with a 61-foot tall silo, and the 78-foot wide PNC Bank American Flag, the world's largest free-flying flag. The 166-tall bright pink Energizer Bunny -- the biggest hot air balloon in the world -- marks its 20th appearance.

New this year are four special shapes. Panda-Monium is a 100-foot high black and white panda bear from Kilgore, Texas. The Little Pirate from Knoxville, Tenn., is anything but little, standing 110 feet tall. Clown-N-Around is a 110 foot tall giant clown from Glen Falls, N.Y. And a giant golf ball from Columbia, Mo., is 52 feet in diameter and can hold over 52 million regulation-size golf balls.

There are mass balloon ascensions each evening at 6:30 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday mornings at 6:30 a.m., times when the winds are the calmest. Balloon rides, both free-flight and tethered, are available. Don't miss the balloon glow at 8 p.m. Saturday.

There's also lots of music and other entertainment on the ground. Headlining music acts include former Beach Boy Al Jardine's Endless Summer Band (8 p.m. Friday), Kool and the Gang (8 p.m. Saturday), and former Doobie Brothers member Michael McDonald (3 p.m. Sunday). Disney's Meaghan Martin (3 p.m. Saturday) should be a big hit with the teens and tweens.

A major attraction is the appearance of the famous Flying Wallendas, who will perform their death-defying aerial act a number of times over the weekend. ''They are the patriarchs of high wire acts -- probably the most famous name in the circus,'' says Freeman. Tino Wallenda and his children will perform the family's three-person pyramid while balancing on a cable a mere half-inch thick and nearly 100 feet off the ground -- with no safety net.

Family entertainment includes juggler Al Grout, magic with Al Belmont, puppets by Ollie's Adventures, amusement rides and fireworks at 9:30 p.m. Friday.

The festival features hundreds of arts and crafts and food vendors, including Quick Chek's 2,700 square-foot food tent, which will premiere the fest's BQ Bourbon Angus burgers, among many other items. A tiki bar will offer light beers and soda. A Caribbean-themed area, complete with a steel drum band and live reggae music, will offer Jamaican Red Stripe beer, and an Irish Pub will feature many Irish brews.

-- Steve Siegel

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Hot air balloon pilots visiting Jackson embrace their lifestyle

2009-07-30T01:13:00.000-07:00

As one who came from a military family and later became a U.S. Army major, Kevin Knapp grew accustomed to floating from place to place.

In his retirement, it's a lifestyle he has embraced.

As a professional hot air balloon pilot, Knapp travels the country coast to coast attending flight shows to promote the Mayflower Transit balloon.

He pulled into Jackson last week to participate in the Hot Air Jubilee, which wraps up this morning at the Jackson County Airport.

Forty-two pilots are participating in this year's event. About 15 of those came from outside Michigan — one from as far as Nevada.

Knapp has a post office box and storage unit in North Carolina. Otherwise, his home is the road. He attends 25 to 30 shows annually.

He books other public appearances virtually 300 days a year.

"A lot of people say I don't have a home, but I do have a home. I'm from whatever hotel I'm at that day," Knapp said. "It's what I know."

Knapp says he fell into ballooning almost naturally.

In 1989, he accepted a job at an Army Recruiting Battalion in St. Louis.

Knapp remembers the move clearly.

On one of his first days in the city — on the Fourth of July weekend — he was out for a run when he came across a pilot in the area for a balloon festival.

"He asked me what I was doing, and I said, 'I'm unpacking, I just moved here yesterday,' " Knapp said.

He walked over and held a rope for the man's balloon and, after a conversation, agreed to be part of a chase crew for the weekend.

"That was my ... introduction to ballooning," Knapp said.

The weekend turned out to be a great experience and remained in his mind. It provided him an opportunity to see a balloonist at work and to see the hobby — which he'd long had an interest in — on an approachable level.

Shortly after, he hooked up with a St. Louis ballooning group and began networking with area pilots.

Knapp enrolled in piloting classes and did his "ground school" work through a local community college. He banked 10 hours of flight time with professional pilots and two hours of solo experience before obtaining his pilot's license in 1990 — less than a year from his first weekend in St. Louis.

Knapp has just one word of his first solo flight: "Indescribable."

"Once I discovered ballooning and learned for myself how fun it is, how magical it is, how peaceful it is, how quiet it is, that's when I discovered my passion for flying balloons," he said.

"If you've ever gone for a balloon ride, it's very difficult to explain to someone else. It's like the very first time you took the training wheels off your bicycle — you're very anxious, your palms are sweaty, your heart is beating fast."

Ken Myer, a pilot from Howell, said ballooning births a sense of "total aweness" as to the surrounding world.

"When you're up there without the burner, it's total peace and quiet," he said. "I love the 'free' feel."

Knapp began saving his money and purchased his first balloon for $20,000 in 1994.

He said the purchase was like buying a car or a bass boat, except that once he took the necessary tests to get his commercial license, he could sell rides to recoup some of the cost.

In 2005, about two years after retiring from his full-time Army recruiting job, Knapp partnered with Mayflower Transit to fly the company's first hot air balloon. The company provided him with a balloon and chase vehicle, and Knapp hit the road. He travels on his own and recruits volunteers to assist at each event, providing them the same opportunity he had to get a taste of ballooning.

Randy Coller, a balloon pilot and long-time participant in the Jackson Hot Air Jubilee, said Knapp's passion is infectious.

Knapp is one out of about five corporate pilots who will be at the Jackson County Airport this weekend. These people are supported by and promote specific companies.

"We're tickled to have him here ... there are several levels in the sport and he's at the top of the class," Coller said.

On Friday morning, Knapp gave a balloon-shaped pin to each volunteer who helped with his first set-up at the Jackson Hot Air Jubilee.

"I have family everywhere I go," he said, looking out at the group of helpers. "You can't call this work. There's effort involved, but it's a paid vacation."

Source

Floating Smiles effort lifts spirits at balloon festival

2009-07-29T01:12:00.000-07:00

MIDDLETOWN — Jim and Holly Phelps wanted to do something special for their son Jake to celebrate his one year of being cancer-free.

The opportunity came in the mail, with an invitation from Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center to join other cancer patients for free, tethered, hot-air balloon rides during the MidFirst Ohio Challenge Hot Air Balloon Festival at Smith Park in Middletown.

Jake, 13, and his family were among 50 children and family members who rode for free, Saturday, July 18.

The rides were provided by Floating Smiles, a nonprofit group organized to give young cancer patients a ride they won’t soon forget.

“It was weird,” Jim Phelps said, because the Ross Twp. family already had discussed a hot-air balloon ride before the invitation arrived.

“It just seemed like another blessing,” Holly Phelps said as her family waited in line, watching an occupied balloon rise about 50 feet in the air. “You think something so horrible, you wouldn’t get so much positive out of it.”

Andy Rich didn’t waste any time and was the first among the invited guests to ride the balloon.

The 16-year-old Kentucky resident, whose right leg was amputated because of bone cancer, used crutches to board the handicapped-accessible balloon basket with his parents and other family members.

Back on land, everyone was all smiles as Andy said the ride was great, especially being able to see the whole carnival.

Ron Rich, Andy’s dad, said his son completed about a year of chemotherapy, but the cancer has returned to his leg and has moved into his lungs.

“Right now, it’s up to God. They’ve tried everything they can,” he said.

For many of the children, who get accustomed to the routine of hospital stays, the balloon rides were an adventure, said Wanda Meriwether, a hospital social worker.

“For many, they are done with treatment and this is a time to celebrate,” she said. “This has been truly amazing for them.”

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Jubilee brings balloonists, community together

2009-07-28T01:11:00.000-07:00

It’s the beauty, color, and imagination of hot air balloons that draws mid-Michigan residents to the Jackson Hot Air Jubilee every year.

The weekend airshow from July 17 through 19 brought more than 40 balloon pilots together at the Jackson County Airport in Michigan to share their flying experiences with one another and with the community.

“It’s a surreal experience,” said Randy Coller, a balloon pilot and long-time participant in the Jackson Hot Air Jubilee. “It's more of a ‘free’ sport in the sense that it is unpredictable…spontaneous and serendipitous. I like that. It teaches patience too.”

Corporate hot air balloon pilot Kevin Knapp describes ballooning as “peaceful and serene.” Knapp travels the country attending airshows to promote the Mayflower Transit balloon.

“Once I discovered ballooning and learned for myself how fun it is, how magical it is, how peaceful it is, how quiet it is, that's when I discovered my passion for flying balloons," said Knapp of St. Louis, Missouri.

“Ballooning is just another form of aviation,” said Chet Dziak, AOPA Airport Support Netwrok volunteer for more than 10 years. “Events like these are important to show people the joy of flying up close and personal.” As a pilot for 20 years, Dziak knows the viability of the airport is important and works hard to keep the community involved.

Although inclement weather conditions kept the hot air balloons grounded for a majority of the time, the Jackson Hot Air Jubilee had plenty of activities planned including an arts and crafts show, a stunt kite demonstration, radio controlled airplanes, static aircraft displays, and a presentation by the Flying Aces Pro Frisbee Team.

Families gathered on the lawn along the runway to watch the Scream ‘N Rebels. Lots of “oohs” and “ahhs” were heard while WWII vintage aircraft, like the T-6 Texan, flew above paying tribute to veterans from wars of the past and those flying for our freedom today.

In these economic times, some airports have not been able to host their annual airshow because of a lack of funding. Jackson Hot Air Jubilee Treasurer Andy Walz was concerned the event might have to be put on hold, as it was last year, but the team was able to pull it together for their 26th year.

“We had to downsize a bit and had lower numbers of people because of the weather,” said Walz. “But overall it was a really nice event.”

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Mass of hot air balloons launch on festival's final morning; see photos

2009-07-27T01:10:00.000-07:00

More than a dozen balloons ascended into the sky and floated eastward in the City of Poughkeepsie this morning during a mass balloon launching at the Hudson River Rowing Association.

Hundreds of people lined up along the Hudson River and watched as each balloon inflated before taking to the sky. A total of 14 balloons took off for the sunrise mass launch, which marked the final day of the Dutchess County Regional Chamber of Commerce's annual Balloon Festival.

The event, which began Friday, was hampered by weather. The balloon launches scheduled for Friday night and Saturday morning were canceled. A few balloons were able to lift off Saturday evening.

“The weather (today) is absolutely perfect and every balloon is here,” Charlie North, president and CEO of the Dutchess County Regional Chamber of Commerce, said this morning. “Two out of four days isn’t bad. We’ve had years where we didn’t launch at all because of the weather.”

Check Monday’s edition of the Journal for more coverage of the Balloon festival.

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Bad weather deflates revenues, instigates confusion at Jackson Hot Air Jubilee

2009-07-26T01:09:00.000-07:00

Organizers of this year's Jackson Hot Air Jubilee say inclement weather conditions made for one of the roughest weekends in the event's history.

Although board members budgeted for their lowest revenues from ticket sales in years — $75,000 — jubilee treasurer Andy Walz said after Sunday's launch that he expected totals closer to $50,000.

"It's the worst weekend we've ever had," Walz said.

Inclement weather forced organizers to cancel the jubilee's Friday evening launch, as well as morning and evening flights on Saturday.

The cancellations resulted in some confusion when pilots finally ascended Sunday.

There was a shortage of crew members around to offer pilots a helping hand, and a large group of sponsors sought rides, but there was not enough balloon space to accommodate them all.

"Everything they get, right there on the ticket, says rides are not guaranteed," said board member Jeff Spry, explaining the risk of bad weather. "I think for some (crew members), it's gotten old; it's like, 'I keep showing up and nothing happens.' "

Board members decided in advance not to charge spectators for Sunday morning admission because the event ended right after the balloons took off. They didn't anticipate that would be the only flight.

Out along the runways Sunday morning, claps and cheers sounded as pilots ascended into the sky.

Roger Dennis, who came to Jackson on Friday night from Montpelier, Ind., stood watching the display with a camera in hand.

Dennis said he remained in town through the weekend to support the jubilee, as he does with many other flight events around the Midwest.

"Hot air balloon shows — if you see one or two (flights) in a weekend, you're lucky," he said. "You just gotta learn to go with the flow."

Dennis said he's been coming to Jackson's event for years. Many of the ballooning events in Indiana and Ohio were canceled this summer due to struggles with ticket sales and other funding sources, he said.

Dennis said he sees value in keeping the tradition alive.

"There's so many good people in this country; they're just discouraged right now," he said, positioning his camera toward the sky. "You just don't see a lot of sad people out here. That's what's good."

Brooklyn resident Renee Merchant has been coming to the jubilee for more than 25 years with her husband, Dick. The two have participated as chase crew members in the past but took a break this summer.

Merchant stood watching the balloons, her jacket dotted with several jubilee pins she purchased over the weekend.

She recalled flying with pilots in previous years and watching families out walking or going to get their morning paper.

"You drift quietly when you are not burning (the lamp), and people wave at you," she said. "You sneak up on them."

Walz said board members now can step back and re-evaluate what they did right.

Though many community members were concerned the festival was getting too large, he said the added attractions — such as an exotic animals display, laser tag, and a pyrotechnics airshow — are what kept people around when balloons couldn't launch.

Although bad weather was detrimental, Walz said, canceling the Friday night glow and not giving out as many pilot prizes due to canceled competitions will save money.

Spry said the advertising provided for sponsors went well. Some sponsors were so happy with the community exposure they got that they already talked of committing again next year, he said.

Jubilee organizers aren't ready to give up hope.

"It will be interesting when we put it all together to see where we all stand," Walz said. "I think we are all optimistic; the biggest problem of course will be paying our bills."

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Fire damages hot air balloon

2009-07-25T01:08:00.000-07:00

INDIANOLA, Iowa - Indianola fire officials say a blaze has destroyed about $40,000 worth of hot air balloon equipment in central Iowa.

Authorities say no one was hurt in the Sunday morning fire. Fire officials say the blaze started in a propane-refueling trailer. The trailer, balloon and basket were destroyed. Fire officials say they don't know how the fire started, but they are investigating.

Firefighters say the blaze shouldn't affect the National Balloon Classic in Indianola later this month.

Indianola is about 15 miles south of Des Moines in Warren County.

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Bridgewater Commons plans event to celebrate Quick Chek New Jersey Festival of Ballooning

2009-07-24T01:07:00.000-07:00

BRIDGEWATER — Bridgewater Commons mall invites shoppers to a walk-through event on July 18 to celebrate the upcoming Quick Chek New Jersey Festival of Ballooning.

From 4-6 p.m. that day, mall attendees can explore the inside of one of the retired balloons from the festival, learn how hot-air balloons work, and enter to win tickets to the festival, which will be held from July 24-26 at Solberg-Hunterdon Airport in Readington.

The walk-through event will take place in the parking lot outside the mall entrance near Lord & Taylor. A 75-foot-tall hot-air balloon will be inflated with cold air, laid on its side and securely staked to the ground, allowing shoppers to explore a balloon from up close and from the inside. Festival staff will be on hand to provide additional information about this year's event.

In case of inclement weather, the event will be held inside the mall and feature a presentation on hot-air ballooning and the festival.

The 27th annual Quick Chek New Jersey Festival of Ballooning in Association with PNC Bank offers morning-through-night entertainment including a fireworks extravaganza, a nighttime hot-air balloon glow where balloons are lighted like lanterns, live concerts by Michael McDonald, Beach Boys founder Al Jardine's Endless Summer Band, Kool & The Gang, Disney teen sensation Meaghan Martin and the newest boy band, One Call; the Flying Wallendas hire-wire act; interactive exhibits and amusement rides; and five scheduled mass balloon ascensions over the Hunterdon County countryside.

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Stoweflake Hot Air Balloon Festival, one of summer's best sights

2009-07-23T01:06:00.000-07:00

Kicking off Friday July 10th, is one of Vermont’s most popular summer events, the 23rd annual Stoweflake Hot Air Balloon Festival. The celebration starts at 4pm on Friday at the Stoweflake Mountain Resort & Spa and continues Saturday July 11th and Sunday July 12th.

Watch as 25 hot air balloons take to the sky while enjoying live entertainment, food, and a beer and wine garden. Specifically for the kids there will be activities and games to keep them entertained. There will be a twilight launch Friday and Saturday at 6:30pm with sunrise launches at 6:30am on Saturday and Sunday. While the morning launches are free, admission to the event to enjoy the music and food is $8 per person. Kids under 12 get in for free.

If you want to venture up in a balloon you have two choices, sign up early for a ride through the beautiful Vermont skies for $275 per person or join the crowds at the event for a $10 tethered lift. Both promise spectacular sites of the Stowe landscape. For balloon ride reservations, call 802-253-7355.

Make a plan to stop by the event or pick a spot in Stowe to watch as the balloons take flight. It’s quite a beautiful site to see so many colorful hot air balloons against the mountains.

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Balloon festival prepares for liftoff

2009-07-22T01:05:00.000-07:00

Get ready to float up, up and away to wherever the wind blows. The annual Dutchess County Regional Chamber of Commerce Balloon Festival is set to take off Friday with nearly two dozen colorful balloons scheduled to take flight all over Dutchess County.

"I think the best part is that there's no cost to attend," said Charles North, president and CEO of the Dutchess County Regional Chamber of Commerce.

The costs for the festival are offset by participating local businesses who sponsor the balloons that will launch from several locations across the county.

"We like doing things like this," North said. "We like to give back to the community and the business community likes to respond in this way."

This three-day event will also feature music by Evergreen Chorus of the Sweet Adelines and the Gillespie show. Belly dancer Sarah Bell will perform and the Center for Creative Education will present a hip-hop dance show.

An addition this year is a moonglow on Saturday at Waryas Park in the City of Poughkeepsie, where hot air balloons will be lit at night so the flames illuminate the colors of the balloon.

A mass balloon launch at the Hudson River Rowing Association Boathouse will be held at 6 a.m. Saturday and July 19.

"It's a sight to be seen because all of the balloons congregate together," North said.

Bad weather such as rain showers that seem to have become commonplace lately or strong winds could threaten the launch of the balloons but North said he isn't worried.

"We go with the flow," he said.

Interested in hopping into one of the baskets and taking in the scenery of the Hudson Valley while floating more than 1,000 feet in the air?

Balloon rides will be offered at each launch site for a fee.

The rides are approximately an hour long with balloons that can reach a maximum height of about 1,500 feet.

The path of the flight is determined by the wind, a method known as free flight.

Riders can travel an average of eight to 12 miles during the free flight with the wind also determining the location of the landing.

"You get in the balloon and land wherever the wind takes you. You never know where you're going to land," North said.

"We make a lot of new friends," said Bill Hughes, the balloonmeister for the festival and owner of Blue Sky Balloons.

Nervousness is a common reaction for anyone who has never ridden in the basket of a hot air balloon.

Hughes said in his experience most people are nervous because it's new, but riders often start to relax seven to eight minutes into the flight.

"It's not like an airplane. There's no vibration as they take off. Most people find it extremely enjoyable. It's very serene," Hughes said. "It's a totally different view of the world."

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It's panda-monium: 4 new shapes join Readington balloon festival favorites

2009-07-21T01:03:00.000-07:00

READINGTON — Cue the music — the spectacular Darth Vader hot air balloon from Brussels, Belgium is returning to the balloon festival this year.

Approved by Lucasfilm, this three-dimensional hot air balloon, shaped like the head of one of the most infamous villains in movie history, is 86 feet tall, 69 feet wide and 78 feet deep.

To combat the "Dark Lord of the Skies," the festival is bringing in some bigger balloon stars.

New special shaped balloons this year include Pandy, a 100-foot-tall, 675-pound black-and-white panda bear; the Little Pirate, who at 110 feet tall really isn't all that little; Clown-N-Around, a 110-foot-tall multicolored balloon in the shape of a clown, complete with a 30-foot-wide hat; and every weekend duffer's delight: a giant golf ball from the U.S.G.A. that is 52 feet in diameter and can hold 52 million regulation golf balls.

The festival's signature Quick Chek Farm Fresh balloon, unveiled last year, also is returning. This giant red barn from title sponsor Quick Chek of Whitehouse Station comes complete with a 61-foot-tall silo, a 30-foot-tall farmer, and friendly animals; it's quite at home floating over the scenic Hunterdon County countryside.

Other festival favorite special shapes include the PNC American Flag balloon, the world's largest free-flying American flag; and the Energizer Bunny, the world's biggest hot air balloon.

Weather and wind permitting, festivalgoers can the mass hot air balloon inflation and ascensions at the following times: 6:30 p.m. Friday, July 24; 6:30 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. Saturday, July 25; and 6:30 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. Sunday, July 26.

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Aboard a hot air balloon, let yourself be light

2009-07-20T23:58:00.000-07:00

If hot air balloonists ever need a poster boy, they might want to call Tom Hamilton.

On flights, the lean 62-year-old often wears a pale blue shirt, leather gloves and the handlebar mustache he first grew when he was flying helicopters in the Army. He looks like a cross between a Roald Dahl character and the Marlboro Man.

Most locals don't notice Hamilton in the summer, however. They notice his balloons.

As the weather grows calm in the summer months, local balloon companies enter their busy season, taking hundreds of passengers aloft, dotting the sky above Snohomish County with rainbow-colored nylon pleasure crafts.

The reason for the trips is tied to the attraction of balloon flight, which can be a bit abstract. The word "magical" comes up a lot.

"It's certainly a very different perspective on the world," said Hamilton, pilot for the Airial Balloon Co. of Snohomish. "It's really just being suspended up there."

A dozen people came to experience that leisurely sense of suspension one Friday in late June.

The group gathered by 6 a.m. at the shared offices of Airial Balloon Co. and Balloon Depot. The two recreational balloon companies were once rivals, but now work side by side, launching from the same open fields at the same time.

Before taking off, the pilots stood outside, gauging the direction of the wind by watching a small black test balloon shoot into the bright blue sky.

"It looks pretty good this morning," Hamilton said. "Always subject to change, but it looks pretty good."

Drifting with the wind

Balloons fly by capturing a huge amount of hot air or in some cases a buoyant gas such as hydrogen.

The balloon used by Airial held 180,000 cubic feet of air, a building-sized bubble so light it offset the nearly 1-ton weight of the craft and its passengers.

The passengers for Airial Balloon Co. rode out to a Snohomish field in a van, where the crew slowly inflated its nine- story-tall balloon. After some safety reminders, everyone climbed into a sturdy rattan basket and Hamilton lifted off.

Since balloons drift with the wind, passengers didn't feel the breeze that pushed them along. Heat radiated off the burners, which also occasionally drowned out conversation with its dragon blasts. Below, passengers saw a green and yellow quilt of farmland and the silver ribbon of the Snohomish River.

"Things look so neat and tidy up here," said Elizabeth Balanko, 61, of Anacortes. "All laid out and organized."

Balloon Depot's own flight began shortly before Airial Balloon's. With both balloons in the air, the view became still more picturesque.

"It's kind of nice having another one to look at," said passenger Sonja Zimmer, 53, of Covington. "That's what we look like."

The balloons climbed into the air with ease. Moving side to side? That was a bit trickier. Balloons have no steering mechanism, one of the many reasons airplanes are a more popular means of travel.

Instead, balloons rely on wind currents to drift from Point A to Point Wherever. Since pilots can only control their vertical direction, they ascend or descend to catch those currents.

Ultimately, though, if the wind isn't blowing east, a balloon won't head east, and if the wind dies, the best pilot in the world will be stuck above a certain spot.

That can lead to some unexpected arrivals. Local companies require passengers to sign a liability waiver that includes a note about the potential for arrest from trespassing.

Granted, Hamilton said he has never heard of anyone actually being arrested. Marilyn Harvey, owner of the Airial Balloon Co., said homeowners are generally happy to see her balloons.

"Especially in the mornings," Harvey said. "Women will come out running in their bathrobes."

Since Hamilton determined the direction of the wind before launching, he had a decent idea which way his balloon would go: southward. Sure enough, the balloon drifted in that direction, slowly covering 5 miles of terrain.

Balloons have long captivated

Hamilton's passengers were taking their flight for different reasons. One married couple received a pair of tickets, which cost about $200 apiece, as a birthday present. Another two friends wanted to check off an item on their "bucket list," the experiences they hope to have in their lifetime.

Ballooning united the passengers in one big way, however. It grabbed everyone's imagination. That's hardly surprising; balloons have been impressing people for centuries.

A balloon made the first free-floating flight on Nov. 21, 1783, when two Frenchmen used a cotton balloon attached to a wicker basket to go up in front of an audience that included King Louis XVI and U.S. ambassador Benjamin Franklin.

Balloons still inspire people today. It's no surprise they appear in fantasies: "The Wizard of Oz," "Around the World in 80 Days" and, most recently, "Up," a Pixar movie that has made more than $260 million since May 29.

Mainstream attention like that can buoy the pastime, which, like other forms of air travel, can fall into a poor light following a highly publicized crash, said Glen Moyer, editor for Ballooning, the in-house magazine for the Balloon Federation of America.

"When there's good, high-profile coverage of the sport -- and especially this type of coverage, focused on the magic and the wonder, the fantasy of it all -- then you would expect to see an uptick in the business," he said.

The Federal Aviation Administration can't comment specifically on the safety of hot air balloons in comparison with airplanes or other forms of travel. However, the FAA said fatal ballooning accidents are rare, and that when balloons travel in favorable weather, they can be quite safe.

Flights take good weather

Waiting for good weather can take time. Wind at more than 11 mph, a low cloud ceiling or rain keeps local companies grounded, regardless of the number of passengers who want to take off.

The downside to that: Many flights are delayed by weather. Even in the summer, nearly half of the flights for local companies need to be rescheduled.

The upside: Most flights happen on nice days. This past spring, the dry spell allowed local companies to fly unusually often, with Airial taking more than 30 flights by July 1. Usually, it only makes 15 flights by then.

Weather also affects launch times. Morning flights are common, in part because that's when air patterns are the most stable.

On Hamilton's morning flight in June, he climbed to 2,200 feet, shooting a 20-foot flame into the balloon to reheat the air again and again. To the east, the Cascades were blanketed in a thick morning haze, and to the west, the Everett skyline jutted over Possession Sound.

Hamilton then dropped close to the trees along the Snohomish River. Hands shot out from the basket to touch the uppermost branches, a thrill generally reserved for birds.

After about an hour of flying, Hamilton began to descend toward a dirt field near Bob's Corn in Snohomish.

"I don't want to land yet," passenger Lorne Balanko, 66, said. "More hot air!"

The balloon neared the ground, and passengers bent their legs to brace for the light impact. A two-man chase crew trotted over, grabbing the basket as it jerked across the dirt, the balloon now catching the wind like a sail.

After the balloon deflated, passengers helped the crew fold it into a bag and then piled into a van to head back to the balloon office. On the drive, Hamilton discussed the history of ballooning, from that first French flight to the fictional one in "Up."

"You can tell," Sonja Zimmer said, "that man really loves what's he's doing."

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Thousands Flock To Longview For Annual Balloon Event

2009-07-19T23:57:00.000-07:00

LONGVIEW -- Longview residents who were already out and about early Saturday morning caught glimpses of vibrant, multicolored hot-air balloons dotting the sky.

Following a key grab competition, the 65 balloons launched into flight during the second day of the Great Texas Balloon Race, a popular event since 1978.

On Friday night, organizers said, several thousand packed the East Texas Regional Airport grounds to view the scenic balloon glow, and they anticipate more than 40,000 spectators will converge to the airport throughout the three-day event.

While the colossal balloons were the focus of the event, much more was offered.

Renowned musical acts including Kevin Sharp, the Nick Thompson Band, Kacey Musgraves, Mark Cooke and the Cooke County Line, Charlie Robison, Kristen Mari and Dagnabbit graced the stage on Friday and Saturday.

Two A10s from Barksdale Air Force in Louisiana were on static display for the public to tour, and a four-aircraft combat team known as T6 Texan Flyers flew in formation and carried out simultaneous takeoffs and landings.

More than 50 vendors, including 18 food booths, serve up novel gift items and carnival food. "Kids' Land" features a space walk, rides and other play activities.

"It's a reasonable amount for a family outing," said Tim Vaughn East, chairman. "There's so many different facets in one show. It gets a good draw from people in surrounding states. It's not just a local show."

But the Great Texas Balloon Race doesn't happen overnight.

It took eight months, more than 100 volunteers, and a host of sponsors to pull off the event. Even the Texas State Guard had a presence, volunteering for security and parking lot duties.

"I just appreciate the help of the volunteers, the sheriff's office, the Gregg County commissioners, Letourneau University and the Texas State Guard," Vaughn said. "This is the hardest working group of people I've ever worked with."

Hot-air ballooning is a sport adored by people of all ages, and for those in the hot-air balloon circuit, Longview is a well-known attraction. In fact, Longview was recognized as the balloon capital of Texas by then-governor Mark White in 1985.

Patty and Doug Grimes, of Albuquerque, N.M., were vendors at the festival for the first time since 1991. Their business, Discover Balloons, was set up to display whimsical hot-air balloon-inspired gifts like wind chimes and spinners. The Grimes said there is nothing like exploring the skies in a hot air balloon.

"For pilots, it's just calm, peaceful and relaxed," Mrs. Grimes said. "You float with the wind. It's a totally different sense of motion when flying with a balloon. People like it because it's a fantasy thing."

Mr. Grimes added, "Some people are natural at it. It's not like flying a plane. You become a part of the balloon."

In addition to their novelty store, they offer balloon rides back home. Mr. Grimes has been a balloon pilot for 31 years but did not participate in the GTBR. He said he bought his first balloon for his business before even riding in one.

"I just thought it was a great sport, and so I got into the business," he said.

Vaughn also explained the love of hot-air balloons, noting the way people were waving with smiling faces as he glided over Longview Friday.

"Everyone has a little kid in them," he said. "Everyone has that fascination with hot air balloons."

Gates open at 5:45 a.m. today and balloons will launch at 6:30 a.m. Admission today is free for all ages.

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Festivals grab huge crowds

2009-07-18T23:54:00.000-07:00

This year's Balloon Rally & Glow and the Big Bull Falls BBQ Ribfest brought in the largest crowd in their history, with about 65,000 people stopping by during the four-day run in Wausau.

That attendance total smashed the 2008 event turnout of about 40,000.

"We surpassed our crowd estimates every single night," said Leah Alters, executive director of Wausau Area Events, which produces the local attraction. "The airport lawn was packed. The open grass by the health care center was packed. There were several boats in Lake Wausau. We were full to capacity."

Once again, the ribs were a popular draw among hungry attendees, who chewed through about 3,660 ribs during the weekend, Alters said. Because the demand for ribs continues to increase, Alters hopes to add two more rib vendors next year.

Ohio-based My Happy Place, one of four rib vendors on hand, found out just how strong the demand for ribs was during the event.

On Friday night, My Happy Place burned through 57 cases of ribs, 27 more than it used during the 2008 event. By 9:30 that night, the vendor ran out of ribs, which forced its workers to drive to Illinois the next day to pick up additional cases from one of its partners.

"This proves that Wausau residents love hot air balloons and love to eat ribs," Alters said. "People were not just buying sampler plates. They were buying full slabs of ribs."

Attendees also were fond of the new balloon at this year's rally -- the Energizer Bunny Hot Air Balloon, dubbed the largest hot-air balloon in the world, Alters said. When inflated, the balloon is 166 feet tall, or 15 feet taller than the Statue of Liberty.

Outside of the balloon launch and glow and the ribs, plenty of people found entertainment in other newly added attractions, such as kite flying, barnstormer flights, fireworks and live music.

To the north, dozens of professional and aspiring artists made use of the sunny weather on Saturday and Sunday by using chalk to decorate the City Square's concrete with vibrant colors for ChalkFest. The two-day event attracted 275 artists who created 225 different pieces of art, said Amy Frolik, one of the event's many organizers.

"The numbers just grow every year," Frolik said.

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