The Great Reno Balloon Race Takes Flight

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.

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Balloons take flight, finally

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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Balloons in flight

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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Balloon championship set to take flight

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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Organisers in balloon flight hope

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.

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Ballooners take to the skies in annual hot air balloon flight

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.

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Candy Spiegel: Watching the magic take flight

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.

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Hot air balloons take flight at festival July 9 to 12

HILLSBOROUGH – Hillsborough residents may soon wake up to a low-pitched hiss passing over their homes as hot air balloons fly by during the Hillsborough Balloon Festival, Thursday, July 9, to Sunday, July 12.

The four-day event at Grimes Field includes hot air balloon rides, a carnival midway with rides and games, live entertainment, food, fireworks and a parade.

Though festivities begin Thursday night, the event goes into full swing on Saturday, with a full line-up of events, including balloon lift-offs; a pancake breakfast; a carnival midway; a roving juggler; four-wheeling; entertainment by the Fracestown Cloggers, Monadnock Mavericks line dancers and Angela West and Showdown; and a fireworks display.

Balloon lift-offs take place at 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, weather permitting. For those who don't want to fight the crowds at Grimes Field, balloons can generally be seen lifting off along Main Street, offering a great photo opportunity for passers-by.

Fireworks will burst into the air at 10 p.m. on Saturday, July 10. To avoid the crowds at Grimes Field, another viewing spot is the duck pond on Old Henniker Road. Of course, those viewing the fireworks in this location won't be able to see fireworks close the ground, but the location is away from all the smoke and commotion at the field.

Another full day of activities is scheduled for Sunday, with another pancake breakfast, balloon lift-offs, carnival midway, fireman's muster and a parade.

This year's parade theme is "Reduce, Reuse, Recycle."

One parade participant, North East T.A.I. Karate in Hillsborough, is creating a float out of previously used materials.

The parade begins at Hillsboro-Deering High School at noon and proceeds along School and Main streets to Grimes Field.

Prizes will also be awarded for entries in the float competition.

Admission to the festival is free, and a fee is charged for rides and games on the carnival midway. Parking at the festival is $5.

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Win a champage flight in a hot-air balloon

THERE will be an opportunity to get a view of Henley from the air thanks to one of the sponsors of this year’s Le Cordon Bleu Henley Food Festival.

Champagne Taittinger is offering Henley Standard readers the chance to win two prizes of a balloon flight in the Taittinger hot-air balloon on the morning of the first day of the festival, Saturday, May 16.

Each prize includes a flight for two people at 6.30am, plus two tickets for the festival, a glass of Taittinger Comtes de Champagne Blanc de Blancs and light refreshments on landing. Each winner will also receive a signed certificate.

If the flight is not possible due to bad weather, a magnum of Taittinger will be sent to each winner instead. To be in with a chance of winning, all you need to do is send a postcard or sealed envelope with your name, address and daytime telephone number to: Balloon competition Henley Standard, Caxton House, Station Road, Henley, RG9 1AD by the closing date of Friday, May 1. The winners will be the first two people whose entries are drawn out of the hat.

Only one entry per person is allowed and entrants must be over 18 and resident in the UK.

The balloon carries four people and the pilot and two other passengers may be included on the winner’s flight. Winners must adhere to any conditions, rules and regulations set out by the pilot. The pilot reserves the right to postpone a flight if he or she deems it unsuitable to fly. You must not fly if you are suffering from a serious medical condition or have recently undergone surgery unless you have a certificate of your fitness to fly from your doctor. You must not fly if you are pregnant or under the influence of alcohol or drugs. Insurance for the flight is included in the prize. Winners will be returned to the balloon site after the flight.

Winners will be notified by May 8. No cash alternatives will be offered. Employees and their immediate families of Hatch Mansfield, Champagne Taittinger, the Henley Standard and anyone directly connected with this promotion are excluded from participating. All normal Henley Standard rules apply. To see them, visit www.henleystandard.co.uk

The Standard is a silver sponsor of the food festival.

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