Hot Air Balloon Ride

I have always been fascinated with flying machines, from crop dusters to the Blue Angels. When I hear the drone of an airplane engine, I have to stop and look up. Hot air balloons intrigue me even more. Watching them float silently above the earth brings a smile to my face.

Brett/Robinson has been a sponsor for each of the four years of the Gulf Coast Hot Air Balloon Festival in Foley. The event has grown each year and attracts balloonist from all areas of the country. The 2008 festival had 50 participants. As a sponsor, someone with the company has the opportunity to ride in a balloon. This year, I was the lucky one.

When I was asked if I would like to fly, my immediate answer was yes. Then, I was filled with conflicting emotions of excitement and dread. My flight was scheduled for Saturday evening. Before taking to the air, the pilots and sponsors were invited to a meet and greet Friday afternoon. I met the Brett/Robinson sponsored pilot, Gary Jones from Diamondhead, Miss. We talked briefly and agreed on a meeting time at the festival the next day.

Thunderstorms were scattered around the area mid-day Saturday, but the sky above Foley was clear by late afternoon and I met the pilot and his family at the festival. I was a little nervous as we waited on the pilot briefing. More rain had developed over Mobile Bay and it looked as if it was headed our way. After much discussion and weather watching, we postponed the flight until Sunday morning. I was to be at the festival grounds by 5:30 a.m. That gave me a little more time to anticipate the flight.

My alarm buzzed at 4:15 a.m. Sunday. I had just enough time to glance at the newspaper and drive from Orange Beach to Foley for my adventure. After breakfast and the pilot briefing, the decision was made to launch. To determine the wind direction, a helium-filled balloon was released. We watched as it floated through the different layers of wind currents. It looked like we were really going to fly. We took the truck and trailer with the balloon to a field southwest of the target landing area. It didn’t take long to get the basket (with a Brett/Robinson banner on the side) attached and the balloon inflated.

My pilot, Gary; his 8-year-old son Jeff; and I climbed in the basket and we started our ascent. The truck, trailer and crew were getting smaller by the second. The view was spectacular. I could see Mobile Bay to the west and the condominiums defining the start of the Gulf of Mexico to the south. I could easily identify Phoenix West and Phoenix West II, as well as condos as far east as Perdido Key. There was no sense of movement, only the ground moving below us. We were traveling with the wind, so there was no breeze in my face. The only sound was the release of propane to fire the burners that heat the air and the chatter of a slightly nervous 8-year-old.

The sky was filled with bright-colored balloons at various levels of flight and we all had the same goal, to land somewhere on or near the festival grounds. The winds shifted slightly to the south, so only a handful of balloons actually landed in the target area. Our balloon drifted near the target, but not near enough. Gary started looking for an open area without power lines to set the balloon down. By this time, balloons were landing all around the area southeast of the festival. We spotted an open lot in a neighborhood and as we came nearer to the tree tops, I could see people, some still in their pajamas, standing in their yards watching the invasion and waving. Our landing was a little rough. We hit the ground and bounced twice. Our crew arrived a few minutes after our landing. Other balloons landed in the same area and everyone helped to get all of the balloons packed and into their trailers. My adventure was over and I was back in my car and driving south before 8:30 a.m.

It was an experience I will never forget. Hopefully, some day I will get to float above the trees in a beautiful balloon again. Until then, I will keep looking up at the sound of an airplane engine and scanning the horizon for a balloon riding with the wind.

* The above story was provided by Lady Luanne, my co-worker.*

As Always, See You At The Beach!