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!
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!
