Went to a cool event this weekend [Archive]

DeputyDog

07-12-2015, 10:58 AM

The community has been having a hot air balloon event at the small local airport for the past 5 or 6 years and it's getting bigger and bigger each year. This year there were approximately 45 balloons there including a Darth Vader and a Yoda balloon. The kids loved it.

They also had a B-25 bomber there offering rides for $400 a pop or you could do a walk through in in as well as a C-47.

Here is the link the the site for the balloons and the event itself.

www.darthvaderballoon.be

www.angolaballoonsaloft.com

Thumper

07-12-2015, 11:00 PM

They are cool and I've been up about a dozen times. One neat thing is, they're slow moving so you have a chance to take in all the scenery. Plus, they're silent (as long as you're not hitting the burner) and you can actually have conversations with people on the ground. (you may have to yell, depending on altitude)

I had a buddy in Memphis who had one and he actually landed in front of my apartment one day in the parking lot. I was in another apartment playing poker with a few other buds and when we heard the racket, we went outside to see WTF was going on. He yelled at me to jump in, I did, and we took off! That was my first balloon ride ever and after that, I accompanied him many times on Sundays (his usual flying day). I asked him how the heck he managed to "fly" to my apartment and he told me he just drifted that way, recognized the place and set 'er down! That was in the very early days of hot air balloons (I assume) as it was around 1978.

Lynn and I once took a "Champagne" balloon ride with another couple (friends of ours) one weekend over Palm Springs, Ca. We were in one balloon and they were in another. We landed both balloons, then had a picnic in a grassy field, complete with Champagne. They're really a neat experience.

Been in a B-52 ... back in Utapao, Thailand in the early 70's. What a beast! Haven't done a C-47, but have flown in a couple DC-3's (basically the civilian version of the C-47). I have flown in many C5A's, C-141's and C-130's. In fact, my brother was a Loadmaster on a C-130. He was a Coastie, but ran occassional supply missions to 'Nam.