Final Day - Was the best

[JLacy]

I'm tired, sunburned, I smell like a wet horse and my dog doesn't know me anymore. It all was WORTH it.

Having spent considerable amount of time out there , I think I can say at least a few things.

Balloonist are a friendly bunch and seems their priorities run in the following order:

Safety
Family
Ballooning

I was told about 40% of all Balloonists also have aircraft licenses. I was also told while both are flying, one was is about the destination, ( airplane) the other way is about transportation ( ballooning) after my first ride today, I see what they mean.

While it is perilous, they seem to make light of many things. They never seem disappointed if they can fly or not. If they can, then all the better but because everyone is a "family" it's as much about a family reunion as is a sport event.

I spoke with many people, those who chase and those who fly. Flying is fun, but they all said chasing was fun too. I did both this weekend and prefer flying but could go chase again too. Both were indeed fun.

Everyone has their own team. This is not a single person sport. Some teams have been together for years. I met many people who were hooked on their first ride and have been in the sport ever since. It's a happy group and you find people from other teams helping other teams. Ballooning is a team sport in the sense everyone is actually on the same team.

This morning started off like all the other mornings in the pilots tent. Coffee, sweet rolls and Kolachi's. The thing that struck me today was how lively everyone was at 6:00 am on a Sunday. I walked up to a lady who I teamed with on Friday, said good Morning gave her a hug and I asked her, " Did you go home and crash last night"? Her comment, "No Joe, Balloonist never crash, we just go home and have hard landings". That pretty much sums up this group, lots of smiles, laughs and jokes and even after we all have been running on little sleep.

After everyone arrived, the FFA spokesman came in and gave us a report. The news was not good and placed everyone on hold. Another report 15 mins. later and another hold. Then out of nowhere the wind died. We were good to go and yes...we did.

Today was a little different in flight plans. Instead of taking off at the field, our goal was to drive north, fly back and drop a marker on the X they had put in the field. We all jumped in the chase vehicle and off to the north we went. Different teams had different strategies for getting over the field, after all you can't steer balloons, they go where the winds blows. So, we found a place about 10 miles north, dropped the basket with another balloon crew, inflated ourselves and off (I) we went.

As luck would have it, the wind picked up as we were trying to inflate. I think the Craig( the pilot) said his balloon was 80,000 cubic feet. If anyone has every tried to hold an 80,000 cubic foot balloon in a wind will know, it's not an easy task. That's another reason anything over about 10 miles an hour is considered risky.

Finally, and with help, we get the balloon upright and we are off. What struck me at first was the contrast between the roar of the fans and intense heat and noise of the burners compared to flight. As we lifted off, it was dead silent. It reminded me of being in a terrible storm and all of a sudden it was absolute calm. The accenting was incredibly smooth, you were just lighter than air, floating slowly up and away.

I spoke to many 1st time riders out there this weekend. A couple said the same thing. " I have a terrible fear of heights but I was not afraid". Sure I thought...but guess what, I had ZERO fear as well. You'll see in a minute we were 500-800 feet but it was like standing in your own living room. Awesome.

Another sensation that was unexpected, no wind. You are moving at the same speed of the wind so there is no wind to "feel". Because you are moving at the same speed of the wind there is ZERO wind noise. You are floating with and seemingly become one with the wind.

We went pretty high, we also dove low. We just about touched the water on the lake, even once we tipped the trees and one of the passengers grabbed some leaves, you'll see pics of that too. While you don't have a lot of left and right steering ability you have quite a bit of control up and down or at least my pilot did.

Our flight was about an hour but seemed like minutes. The flight was fun, but the landing may have been the best part. If you have ever rode that wooden roller coaster at Six Flags over Texas (Texas Giant) imagine that ride with barrel rolls. We touched down once, bounced, up and bounced then down, up and then down and then rolled. I was on the bottom of the pile of people, two people were on top and over we went, then the wind began to drag us and rolled us again. I was trying to hold on with one hand and keep the other hand on the camera, it was not unlike being in a clothes dryer. I might have been concerned if I wasn't laughing so hard. As we would roll and had people of top of me, I would turn at take pics, I was shooting the ground, the people, the balloon as I could feel us being dragged over Cow patties. There was no mistaking those lumps on the grass. (Cow patties pics later). It was great.

BTW, we counted 19 balloons in the air and all but 2 or three were even close the field, most of us ended up several miles to the west. I didn't matter, we all had a great time.

I only took one camera body and one lens on the ride, all my shots were with the 10-22mm. As you will see in the pics something longer would have been better at times but overall wide it better. The other balloons were often miles away and you could have used a tele. We seemed to be right in the middle of the pack of all the balloons.

It was a great assignment. I had a ball, met some awesome people. The last thing I said upon shaking hands and hugging everyone for the last time was " See ya'll in Plano" and I left feeling nearly as much as family as photographer.

Special thanks has to go out to Pilot Craig Hays for the amazing ride, in flight peanuts, my first Official Balloon pin and his Purple Hays Balloon for delivering us safely back to the ground. I also want to thank that cutie Shryl and all the Purple Hays crew for a very, very cool day.

Now, enjoy the show http://www.dfwlookingglass.com/hvbf/

[LoungeLizard]

Ahhh...wonderful photos of a nice expericne.

[ShutteredEye]

It was great meeting you this morning, and I'm glad you finally got to go up!!

PS: I think I can see myself in pic #6929. Yup that's me, waving at you from the south shore west of the bridge.

[JLacy]

Hi Robert,

Oh was that you? hehe.

It was nice to meet you as well. Sorry I didn't have much time to visit, maybe next shoot. BTW, it's not what camera gear you shoot, it's what you shoot. Don't let the camera snobs get you down, keeping clicking instead.

Joe

[ShutteredEye]

Originally Posted by JLacy

Hi Robert,

Oh was that you? hehe.

It was nice to meet you as well. Sorry I didn't have much time to visit, maybe next shoot. BTW, it's not what camera gear you shoot, it's what you shoot. Don't let the camera snobs get you down, keeping clicking instead.

Joe

Thanks for the encouragement.

Does anyone else think its way cool like I do when you see two different views photographed at the same time?? Like I'm sure I've got a pic or two of your balloon as you coasted in over the lake, w/o knowing each was taking their respective shots, LOL!! Thats cool.

[engstrom]

Joe - I really want to go up in a balloon after reading your post and viewing your pictures. I've always thought I wanted to go up but now I'm sure. By the way, your pictures told a great story - I almost didn't need the write up to know exactly what was going on. Thanks for sharing!

[Elsaspet]

You have some really fantastic stuff there Joe, and it looks like you had a blast. What a cool thing you got to do today! I bet you would remember it well even if you hadn't photographed it. Wonderful job, and I'm glad you go a chance to meet some of the folks around here. Good folks!

[Joe_Lorenzini]

Thanks for sharing all this Joe. It's a complete story with background text and excellent photography. Looks like a wonderous ride up there. Of course, I'm jealous as hell but you really worked hard for it, congrats!

_/oe

[JLacy]

Thanks everyone and yes it was a blast. Maybe one of the best things was the fact there was enough time to visit with many of the people involved. I tried to concetrate on two or three teams rather than all 29. I was told Plano will have about 80 teams.

Albuquerque is clearly the mother of all ballooning events. I heard numbers from 600-1000 teams there. The reason Albuquerque is top dog is because of the winds, landing places and lack of restricted air space. Some people indicated they liked the smaller events like the Highland Village because it was more smaller family like. It goes back to that family thing I think and a reoccuring theme.

Where Highland Village is located is pretty close to DFW airport airspace. This is also why many of the balloons didn't fly at times. If the wind is in the wrong direction, it won't happen.

Morning flights have a better chance than evening. FAA required the balloons be on the ground no later that 8:08 on Saturday night. The winds didn't cooperate by 7:15 so that's why the flights were scrubbed. Just FYI for those going to Plano, better chance AM than PM because of daylight. Saftety and the FAA rule this sport and there's no exception to the rule.

I heard some sad stories too. Balloons caught in power lines, people jumped to their death. Balloons trying to land and spooked horses who ran into barb wired fences. Cows seem rather indifferent to balloons landing, they just mosey out of the way.

Some landowners get rather aggitated at the unexpected surprise. Most think is pretty cool to have a Balloon land on their property and even help pack up. One of the landing spot criterias is that it's close to the road and hopefully with car access. If you can't get the Van in there, then it's breakdown, carry out and you'll be lifting it all over the fence, AFTER you get it to the road. (ugh)

This may be more information than you wanted to know but it's here for those who do.

[arthur]

so how dangerous is it, assuming you don't jump to your death?

[JLacy]

Dunno Arthur but I highly recommend taking a flight. It was just too cool.

One of the teams I worked with does take people for paid rides. His name is Wayne Standefer and is considered by most a TOP balloon pilot. Nice guy too. Wayne can be reached at 972-641-1030. I was on his chase team, I flew with another pilot only because Wayne was full that day. Wayne is also an LTA commercial pilot and instructor. Holds both single and multi engine and even a helicopter license. 2700 hous of flight time. ( I'm reading off his balloon card, btw Balloon cards are like baseball trading cards, they give these out to the public to promote balloning)

Yea, he's a pretty safe bet if you had to bet on someone taking you up and more importantly getting you back down in one peice.

Here's a pic of his balloon, the Lindstand a-105 and a pic of Wayne. Telephone does not match his balloon card but one of these numbers should reach him.