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

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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Photo of the Day: Albuquerque Hot Air Balloons

Two months in and still going strong, our 2009 Dream Trip Contest has had more than 11,000 entries so far. For inspiration for your own entry, and a chance to win a $25,000 vacation to wherever you choose, read our take on a submission that caught our eye:

Dream Trip entrant Cpriaulx shot this colorful, buoyant image during a cross-country journey that included a stop at the celebrated Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta, a road trip that ultimately turned Cpriaulx onto a new hobby.

"After this trip I purchased a pick-up truck so I could get into this branch of aviation," Cpriaulx writes in the Dream Trip entry "Up, Up, and Away". "A balloon ride should be on everyone's to-do list. Balloon folks are a special breed of people. Fun loving and full of life, and they want to share it all with you.

"The balloons come to Albequerque every October," Cpriaulx advises. "Make your plans now!"

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BALLOON RIDES: See Town Day from the sky

Winchester, MA - Look up in the sky. It’s a bird, it’s a plane, no it’s the RE/MAX Hot Air Balloon! To celebrate the town of Winchester’s Annual Town Day RE/MAX Leading Edge is offering balloon rides in the world famous RE/MAX Hot Air Balloon.

Rides will be offered for a suggested donation of $5 for children and $10 for adults. All proceeds will benefit the Winchester Hospital Breast Cancer Center. The RE/MAX Balloon will be located at Manchester Field. Tethered rides will be made available to the public from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m., weather permitting.

RE/MAX Leading Edge will also be sponsoring a booth with information on breast cancer and how it is possible to support The Miracle Home Program of The Children’s Miracle Network team or the Susan G. Komen Race For The Cure on Sept. 26. That evening to continue the festivities of Town Day, RE/MAX will also be sponsoring fireworks starting at 9:15 p.m. at Manchester Field, 100 Mystic Valley Parkway.

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Upstate celebrates Memorial Day with a hot-air balloon festival

This Upstate celebration of Memorial Day weekend complete with music, rides, and hot air balloons kicks off today, May 22, and runs through May 25.

So, if you’re in the upstate area this holiday weekend stop by the Freedom Weekend Aloft in Simpsonville.

And they’ve got a lot to offer: The festival’s amphitheater is located right beside the balloon launch making for a multi sensory experience. Chairman of the Board and the United States Fleet Band will be playing. There will even be Wii challenges, an obstacle course, and a water balloon race to bring you back to your camp days. For the more adventurous balloon rides are available for $175, call in advance to make a reservation, 864-221-0552.

Hours are 3 p.m. to 11 p.m. Friday, Noon to 11 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, and Noon to 8:00 p.m on Monday. It’s $7.50 for advance tickets and $10 at the gate. — Admission is free on Monday, May 25th.

The festival is located in Heritage Park, 861 SE Main Street in Simpsonville.

You can learn loads more about the event in their program (PDF).

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Fly in for a day of aviation activities

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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