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Up, Up & Away:
The 2005 Remax Balloon Festival Photos & Text By Kay McEntee A ride in a Hot Air Balloon has always been on my list of "must do's" and Friday September 16, I did just that, courtesy of Lee Edwards of Burlington, Michigan and his balloon called "Plum Crazy". The name in no way reflects the way he pilots it, but that he and wife Clara believe in living life to the fullest.
Lee is one of the most cautious balloon
pilots, making sure that the flight would be perfect or just not happen.
This ride came about courtesy of the Remax Balloonfest, an annual
Midland event that drew 50 balloons and took place on September 16, 17
and 18. Yes, it is all I imagined it would be, and maybe even more. I
found out that you really could talk to people on the ground or hear
conversations as you pass over them. What a fun flight.
Hot Air Balloons are not something you can
purchase and fly without knowledge, experience, a license and of course
money. A balloon can cost from $15,000 to over $200,000 for a specialty
design. Most people pay around $30,000 for a nice one with an envelope
(the inflatable sphere) that ranges from 60-75 feet tall. Specialty ones
can be even taller. Once inflated, this holds a gondola that is normally
made of wicker and holds two propane gas tanks, an instrument panel and
a maximum of 4 passengers, usually 2-3 are a comfortable fit. The
balloon can last 500 hours of flying time before needing replacement,
while the basket can be reused.
Most hot-air balloon rides will take place
at sunrise or near sunset, as this is when the wind is the lightest.
Ideally the wind will not be over 7 MPH as it is dangerous to fly when
it is windy. It is also very important to send up a pi-ball that shows
the wind as it heads up and direction at different altitudes, giving the
pilot information that helps deciding where the best place is to fly.
A hot air balloon does not have any
steering mechanism, so the pilot must rely on two propane burners to
fly. If heat is applied to the air that has initially inflated the
balloon, it will lighten the air within the envelope, creating buoyancy
to lift it up.
The propane gas is less dense than the air
surrounding the balloon, allowing it to fly. Once airborne, the
prevailing winds determine direction, but the pilot may change direction
of flight by ascending or descending to different altitudes to take
advantage of wind directions at those altitudes. Skill is a must and an
experienced pilot can make the most of what is up there, ideally
spending a lot of time at the 1,000 foot level. Flights will very from
50 feet to 2,000 feet, depending on the terrain and winds.
As I headed to the van and trailer that was
housing Plum Crazy at around 6PM other balloons were beginning to launch
into the sky. Lee thought the wind would die down as the sun began to
set but we would have to wait and see.
I was given some important instructions
that would help me be a good passenger, learning things like why crew
members were gloves "because you never want any hand oils to touch the
balloon," plus if you need to hold onto a balloon rope they are a must.
The ground crew had come from all over the
state for the weekend and also some from Midland, back for another year
to lend a hand. I watched as the basket was assembled, burners put into
place and Plum Crazy was then stretched out on the grass. A large fan
was used to then fill the envelope with air so the propane could be
released into it to raise the balloon.
It didn't take long and it was above the
basket, ready for takeoff. The time had come for me to get inside for my
ride. It sure looked small to hold the three people who were getting
inside but I climbed in and away we went.
Now Lee is a fun loving person but is very
serious when flying and began to make the most of the wind. We were soon
soaring high over Midland, topping at 2,000 feet and going to different
altitudes to map our path across town. I was intent on looking at things
like the Midland Mall, a car dealership, hospital, landmarks that
suddenly looked very small but familiar.
Our other passenger, also from Midland, and
I were trying to figure out what things were. We flew at about 1,000
feet where the wind took us on a heading over Emerson Park and watched
one balloon land near the skate park. All the time we flew there was
contact with the chase crew below via walkie-talkie. They would be on
the ground when we set down to take our rope to help us land.
It was amazing how well they could follow
and prepare for the balloon to land. I learned more about that the next
day when I became one of them, watching helping to find roads and follow
the balloon as it soared overhead.
As we continued on, there were 4 others
flying around us and they slowly started picking out landing spots. We
were watching for any high wires, making sure to stay well above them
while looking for a good spot to set down. Our journey ended at
Friendship Park where the crew stood below and talked to us and we
descended to the ground, landing like a feather.
People were gathering around us as we
landed and I learned that Lee is very receptive and loves to give
"tether rides" to anyone who is interested, especially kids. I was told
that one time he spent 2 hours making sure that everyone who stood
around the balloon got their ride to the end of the tether rope and then
back to the ground.
I could see that he was totally enjoying it
and finally they were finished and it was time to put Plum Crazy down to
the ground and fold it up for transport. The crew all helped where they
were needed, each knowing what to do when, and as a passenger, I also
was expected to help out. We got it flattened, folded, trussed up and
finally put into its bag. Then we sat on top to get the extra air out
and it was carried to the trailer for transport.
I was still feeling a huge high from the
flight, secretly hoping I would be able to ride again over the weekend.
This, I would learn later, was something that not many got to do. Wives
only get a ride once or twice a year. When the balloon goes up it is
usually with a novice passenger and that is what happened the rest of
the weekend. I did get to help out as a crewmember and that was
gratifying, but the flight was by far the best.
Next year when they return, I was invited
to help out and maybe I will get lucky and take another ride.
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