 Jim HouseCommercial pilot since 1987, Jim House operates a
hot air balloon ride business from his country home near Mackinaw,
between Peoria and Bloomington. His wife, Darla, serves as crew
chief when flying competition events in their FireFly 7, a
77,000-cubic-foot balloon. His son, Seth, serves as crew chief with
the Thunder & Colt 120, a 120,000-cubic-foot balloon.
The names on the balloons are from two retail businesses owned by
the House family and located in Peoria. Sun-Gard sells and
manufactures residential and commercial custom window treatments.
Truck N' Stuff offers custom truck and auto customizing and
accessories.
The balloon is sponsored by CEFCU.
___
 Larry Owen
Larry Owen has been coming to the Lincoln Art & Balloon Festival
for 11 years. He has finished first, second and third as well as
other positions. It is one of his favorite events that he gets to go
to every year. He and Sheelagh have met so many people and have made
many good friends in Lincoln. Their sponsor, Eaton, has been the
same for a long time. They crew for them each year and do a
fantastic job. Gaynor and Scott Goodman have become very good
friends.
Larry and Sheelagh have been flying for 13 years. Sheelagh also
has her balloon license. They have flown all over the U.S., Canada
and Mexico. Larry says, "It is really a great sport."
The balloon is sponsored by Eaton.
___
 Jim Pearson
Jim Pearson is from Milan and has been a hot air balloon pilot
since 1988. He has won balloon rallies in Macomb twice and in the
Quad Cities. He very much enjoys coming to Lincoln again and again.
The balloon is sponsored by St. Clara's Manor.
___
 Judy Woller
Sea Fantasy has eight striped legs, one great big smile, one
starfish, one blowfish, two dolphins and one sea horse, for a total
of 12 eyes. The balloon weighs about 450-475 pounds (dry) -- just
the envelope -- and is listed at 105,000 cubic feet. The outside
animals on Sea Fantasy have no lift value and are made with a
different lightweight fabric than the main part, which is ripstop
nylon.
Sea Fantasy flies almost like a regular shape but needs much more
room for inflation and pack-up. It takes about four to eight crew to
inflate and then pack it back up.
The Wollers, who own the balloon, always welcome people to come
help and take photos next to balloon. They will even line up kids
and adults and let them roll on it to help get the air out. Kids
love that! Some balloonists don't want their balloon touched with
bare hands, because of oils and other reasons, but the Wollers don't
mind gentle touching and feeling of the balloon.
The balloon is sponsored by the City of Lincoln.
___
[to top of second column] |
 Scott Wooge
Scott has attended the Lincoln Art & Balloon Festival about 18
times and has had the same sponsor for all of those years -- Counter
Top of Bloomington.
___
 James Phelan
James Phelan is originally from Lincoln and now resides in
Chicago. He earned his private hot air balloon license at the age of
16 and his commercial hot air balloon license at the age of 18.
James is a graduate of Illinois Wesleyan University in
Bloomington. His favorite launch site was the quad of the IWU
campus. His first quad flight was also the first flight for IWU
President Minor Meyers and his wife.
___
 Kelly Neill
PengWind is a home-built balloon inspired by the large flightless
birds from Antarctica.
Kelly has been flying for 34 years -- starting with his father,
Jim. Kelly is joined by his wife, Tammy, and two children, Sofia and
Kieran. You can find both children around the balloon and getting
muddy! Sofia tells her dad to land by the "purple balloons!"
Look for the baby penguin on the back on their balloon. Happy
flying!
[Text from file received from
the Lincoln/Logan County
Chamber of Commerce]
Previous in series
|
