Anniversary Flight

No, not our wedding anniversary, our anniversary of buying the balloon! It was also close to the birthday of the husband (Alex) of one of Jill's co-workers (Sandy). Alex and Sandy have become friends, and we promised to give Alex a balloon flight to celebrate his birthday. Today was the first chance for a flight this month.

The wind direction was a bit iffy, so I decided to drive north to Vilonia, Arkansas where the landing sites are plentiful. We got to our launch site, a school east of Vilonia, and set up slowly while we waited for the winds to calm. It was still gusting a little bit, but it was definitely calming, and it was time to inflate. Before long, Alex and I were launching into a bit of a quick wind. It didn't take too long before the winds slowed a little, and I knew we'd have a great landing.

Soon after launch, I identified the area north of town that was a good target for landing. The winds gave us a little ability to steer. Uncharictaristically, there was a right turn low. I worked the winds, alternating high and low, and drove toward a neighborhood surrounded by good landing sites. The front right part of that neighborhood presented a great spot for a fence-less landing, but when I tried to steer toward that field, by right turn had dissipated. No problem, there were plenty of places beyond the neighborhood that would be good for landing.


As we flew over the homes, a tremendous number of people poured from many of the homes. Several families were hosting parties to watch the Razorbacks' game. Despite the game starting on television, several people stayed to help us pack the balloon up. A couple even joined us the traditional toast!

Once the balloon was packed up, we drove back to Sherwood, and enjoyed a pizza at Shotgun Dan's with Alex and Sandy. It was a terrific Saturday night!

Sandy and Alex took some great pictures, and I'll add some here, and to the Flickr page (see the Flickr badge on the right).

Columbus, Kansas Yet Again!

Well, another Columbus Day weekend spent in Columbus, Kansas. It's a very friendly little town in the Southeast corner of the state. It's surrounded by agriculture (mostly soybeans) and abandoned coal mines. The first year I attended as a pilot was great, but since then, I haven't had a flight! I probably need to get braver when it's a bit windy, but when there's a low-level shear, I'm pretty happy to let some of the other pilots risk their balloons (not to mention their necks!)

Columbus always celebrates Christopher with a big festival including the balloons, a street fair, and a parade (concerts and a car show, too!). Since I didn't fly, the most interesting thing I have to show is a clip from the parade. It's taken from my balloon basket, which is in the back of a truck.

I also have my GPS track from the parade route. Because it's not from flying, and because it's in Kansas, the "flight path" is FLAT!


I had the same hosts/sponsors for the third year. Darrell and Marilyn are terrific. We have a nice time together, and they feed me very well. Unfortunately, I was feeling a bit under the weather, and I didn't feel like eating many of the great food they provide each year. I'll be ready for the ribs next year, though!

I was especially glad that Dana and Marty were able to join us Saturday afternoon and Sunday. I'm also looking forward to their visit to Little Rock in a few weeks!