Several Events, Few Flights

From mid-September through early October we traveled to three events. Lots of fun, but not lots of flights!

September 13 was day one of the Faribault Airfest. Friday was a beautiful evening, and several balloons launched from the airport. The balloons were part of a whole airshow that included glider demonstrations, helicopter rides, historic military aircraft displays and acrobatic planes. We had a short flight to the north of the airport, then returned and inflated on the field for a glow. As you can see from this video, as shortly after we flew off, the acrobatic planes took to the sky for their show!

Saturday's balloon events were weathered out with high winds and rain in the area. My crew and I stuck around, though and had a great time enjoying the airplanes!

A week later, Bryan, Brad and I set off for Duluth. We knew that the likelihood of flying was slim, as there are limited landing sites around Duluth, but we were excited about seeing the area. We also knew that the terrain that made flying in Duluth difficult would make sightseeing there really nice. We weren't surprised that we didn't fly, and we were pleased with the scenic beauty of northern Minnesota!

Even though there were no flights as part of Le Festival des Montgolfières à Duluth, about 25,000 visitors enjoyed a great weekend at Bayfront Park with music, balloon glows, kite flying, a beer garden and lots of vendors. The balloons made for some pretty pictures in a beautiful setting!

Two weeks after the Duluth trip, Jill and I made our annual pilgrimage to Columbus, Kansas for their Balloon Regatta. We won't be able to attend next year's event, because of a certain upcoming wedding, but we've enjoyed the hospitality of Darrell and Marilyn Shumake for several years. It was fairly windy, so only a few balloons flew this year. We kept our balloon safe and dry in the trailer, and just enjoyed all the visiting.

The next event on our calendar is early December in Caledonia, MN. I'd better get in the air before then, so I stay current to fly!

Way to Kickoff Labor Day Weekend!

It's been hot here (for Minnesota), but the winds have been calm most of the week. As the
forecast took shape, Saturday morning looked like it would be ideal for flying, calm winds and comfortable temps! I had a list of people who I'd like to fly with, and our friend Deb was available to join us. Of course the Trimbles (Bryan, Brad, and Crew Chief Brayden) made the whole morning possible!

The only question about the weather was the possibility for fog, but when I woke up and went outside, it was very clear. Passengers and crew assembled at our house, and we ventured to Queen of Angels Church in Austin for inflation. An easy inflation gave us a chance to have Bryan and Brad perform different jobs than their normal positions, and we got the balloon up easily.

The forecast was for good steerability, with about 90 degrees difference between the direction of wind at the surface and at 500 feet. That proved to be true, but the surprise was that the winds a little higher "boxed back" to the east! If that hadn't been moving so slow, or if we were over open terrain, I might have worked that box wind in an effort to make a "round trip." Instead I dropped down a little, and moved toward the northeast over town and out into the country.

Once away from town, I saw a field to the south that had good access to the road (dry packup). I directed the crew there and steered right in for a nice standup landing.

While we were packing up, we glanced to the east and saw fog and clouds rolling in. It was a beautiful flight, timed perfectly for good visibility and good weather!

Wow! It's August, and My Last Post Was in December!

It's been a good year for ballooning, but you'd never know it from my blog!

In January, a group of pilots gathered in White Bear Lake to celebrate St. Paul's Winter Carnival. We had a great flight, and a death defying parade experience. Then, a week later (in February), I attended Hudson's Hot Air Affair. Another beautiful winter flight (also a fun parade and a snowy glow). My flight was especially nice because my good friend Donna braved the early morning and the frigid temps to fly with me!





I had a flight or two in the spring and early summer, just enough to stay current, including a
nice flight with Holly, who made a donation to a cancer fundraiser to be able to fly with me. It was nice to meet her and her husband, and they showed up a few weeks later to help us glow the balloon at Rochesterfest.

A flight in July gave me a chance to fly with my friend Ron. Ron's always so nice to our staff at the Y (he's a massage therapist, and comes through our offices doling out massages regularly!) so I was pleased to take him for a flight. He responded by inviting Jill and me (as well as my sister, Greta and niece, Rebekah) to watch fireworks at his house the next night. While we were there, Greta and Rebekah each enjoyed massages (Becka's first!)




In August, I was able to make a new friend in Juan, who has ballooning on his bucket list. He
also has cancer, so he's focusing on those bucket list items. I was pleased to fly with him on a really calm evening in Austin. We flew from southeast Austin, and in an hour landed about 3 miles away on the fairway of the second hole on the country club. It was a beautiful night, and I enjoyed flying with Juan. His friends who helped arrange the flight brought homemade wine for the toast, and gave Jill and me a bottle as well. While I don't drink wine, I knew our friends Chris and Melissa are wine enthusiasts, and they were coming to visit.

When Chris and Melissa were here, they enjoyed the wine and judged it to be of very good quality (some of the best they tasted during their Minnesota visit, which included tastings at two wineries!) I was also able to have a flight with Chris, which added a nice element to a really great vacation with them!

Well, that brings me up to date on my flying this year. I have three events scheduled in the next 6 or 7 weeks, so I may have some more to add soon!