Balloons fly twice for Fourth

It was two for two for the first time Saturday at the Battle Creek Field of Flight.

Hot air balloons launched for flights both morning and evening flights, the first time since the event began Wednesday.

Despite some slow and variable winds, pilots flew a three-part task Saturday morning mostly from north to south and then about 7 p.m. began inflating and launching from the field at W.K. Kellogg Airport and flying north to pick one of three targets.

Results of the evening flight were not available late Saturday but the winner Saturday morning was Paul Petrehn of Howell. Second was Chase Donner of Fisherville, Ky.; third was Matt Fenster of Bellevue, Neb.; fourth was Brad Craig of Carlisle, Iowa; fifth, John Jensen of Indianola, Iowa; sixth, Nick Donner of Fisherville, Ky.; seventh, Alan Blount of Palos Park, Ill.; eighth, Jeff Pestun of Zeeland; ninth, Aaron Foelske of Channahon, Ill.; and tenth, Jeremy Rubin of Ankeny, Iowa.

Today's events, the last day of the 2009 event, begin with a balloon launch scheduled after the 6:15 a.m. pilot briefing and an airshow at noon, after the gates open at 10:30 a.m.

A balloon launch is scheduled in the evening and entertainment will be “The Edge” beginning at 8:30 p.m

As they gathered Saturday morning balloon pilots were told that after a cancellation of a flight Friday night because of high winds, morning winds were light and variable.

“Welcome to the land of the extremes,” Alan Yost, the weather officer said.

“This morning is a test of will,” Event Director Jim Birk said.

Pilots said the winds were light and from several directions, making a decision where to launch difficult.

“We had balloons all over the place,” Pilot Paul Quandee of Elkhart, Ind., said after the flight. “There wasn’t a direction they didn’t try.”

Pilots had to drop a marker at a parking lot on the south side of the airport for the first task. Then they had a choice of a church lot on Helmer Road or a field near Perry and Beckley roads for the second and then a field behind a Leroy Township cemetery on Capital Avenue Southwest.

Quandee said the winds were changing pilots had to work to get close to the targets.

“It was frustrating but fun at the same time,” he said.

“I had a great time,” said Harold Graves of Emery, S.D. “Of course it is a little more fun when you score well.”

At the last target Graves and Quandee were close together, both looking for a little wind that would blow them west over the target.

Quandee said he kept popping up above the trees, looking for winds that were not there before.

“I kept thinking maybe God has changed the world. If you don’t go look you never know.”

Chase Donner said winds at 5,000 feet were different than on the ground and some pilots chose to go high, others to stay low and each had some success.

He said the morning flight was different than some other mornings where the winds are faster but that is a challenge to ballooning.

“Every day is a little different, you have to adapt to the conditions,” he said.
Jeff Pestun said the morning flight required patience. Many pilots were in the air nearly 2 1⁄2 hours.

“I don’t mind working for my points but hate to work and not get the points,” he said. “But people scored — it was there to be had.”

Pestun said he was looking for different winds at different altitudes.

“I went to 7,000 feet three different times,” he said. “It was 40 degrees and I was taking off and then putting on my shirt.”

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