Saturday evening flights a great prelude to night glow

 

[August 26, 2019] 

LINCOLN 

On Saturday evening, once again the winds ended up being a little precarious for pilots and their large hot air balloons at the Balloons over 66 weekend.

Much to the delight of spectators holding court at the large lot behind Heartland Community College, a few balloons did make it into the air.

While the balloons at the college did not inflate, those there to see the sights got the pleasure of seeing a number of other balloons passing over and nearby.

The winds were coming from the south east, pushing the balloons to the northwest. Several of them appeared to be flying right over St. Clara’s Rehab and Senior Center and Castle Manor. A couple looked like they were headed right to Wal-Mart to do some shopping, and others flew slightly to the north of the college on their way out of town.

The Honest Abe balloon was the singular balloon that flew directly overhead of the college greenspace where spectators were able to look straight up into the envelope of the balloon as it passed over.

Balloons that flew over the college included Laurie Acuff in Double Image, Mike Boylan with Wild Rover, James Phelan in the Little One, Greg Saul in Good and Plenty, Jared Miller in Firey Gizzard, Alex Jonard in Zee-nith, Jim Ireland with Sunglow, Tom Klitz with Fire and Ice and Tim Cloyd with Glorious Drifter.

By 7 p.m. it was time to move on to Eighth Street for the Balloon Glow. Traffic was steady on Woodlawn Road heading toward College and Union Streets to the Eighth Street Glow site. Hundreds had gathered early and by the end of the evening it would be no exaggeration to say that there were at least a couple thousand spectators lining the 300 block of Eighth Street, all there enjoying the glow.

[Nila Smith]