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The pilots gathered at the Oasis Senior Center and
were fed by Oasis volunteers. All were encouraged to enjoy a large
hearty breakfast that included breakfast staples such as biscuits
and gravy, eggs and fried potatoes.
Many of the pilots stayed for a bit, enjoying their morning coffee
and visiting with fellow pilots.
Stopping by a table or two, the message was quite clear; the pilots
were happy to be back in Lincoln, and are hopeful that the new
version of a balloon weekend will grow and become another routine
event for them to attend.
Seth Goodman, who organized the event said that even though most of
the balloons had not gone into the skies on Friday evening, the
majority of them did inflate at their launch sites and spent a good
amount of time interacting with spectators.
Jim Phelan and Jim Ireland had their balloons at the Immanuel
Lutheran Church in town. Nancy Ireland said that there were several
people there to watch and they seemed to enjoy watching the process
of inflation and just seeing the balloons up close.
Goodman said about the same thing. He noted comments that he had
heard and seen on social media and felt that the public was just as,
if not more, interested in the inflation as they were the flight.
He noted that at his Friday night launch site there were a lot of
people out watching the balloons, and to a certain degree he was a
bit surprised.
Denis Sutter is the pilot of Lucky Charm. He inflated at Mayfair
Park on Friday evening. Sutter did not fly, but he said it was
enjoyable to watch the people watching him. He noted that in that
particular area, there were a lot of the residents around the park
who brought their lawn chairs out into the front yard and just sat
and took it all in. He said there were several others who came up in
their cars and just parked and sat and watched. He said when the
balloon began to deflate it seemed that everyone got the message it
was over for the night and they moved on to other things.
Sutter said he is hopeful that the Balloons over 66 will continue to
take place and to grow. He said that he has always enjoyed coming to
Lincoln. He enjoys the town and the people, and was really happy to
see a balloon activity return to the city.
On Eighth Street, Goodman inflated his Honest Abe Balloon, and Abe
did fly. When Goodman and his crew were inflating it was a fun thing
to watch. The winds at that time on the ground were pretty brisk.
Picture this, when you set a round watermelon on the table top, it
rolls, and if you’re not careful, it will roll away! The Honest Abe
balloon with its watermelon colors and seed accents was rolling back
and forth throughout the inflation.
Goodman was set up so that the ALMH Fitness Court was a backdrop in
many of his photos. The balloon would roll to the right and the
backdrop would disappear. Then it would roll to the left and there
was the fitness court once again!
When the balloon took to the skies, Goodman was a guest and not a
pilot. Joining him in the basket was long-time friend and balloonist
Scott Wooge. Wooge is a 28-year-pilot from Missouri, he flies, runs
a FAA Repair Station for hot air balloons and At-Large Director for
the Balloon Federation of America/BFA.
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Goodman said it was going to be a rapid ride, and Scott is an expert. He didn’t
mind turning controls of Abe over to his friend, but it also left Goodman doing
nothing, just along for the ride, which is kind of a strange experience for the
local pilot.
Goodman said the winds were rapid at the higher elevations, up to 22 knots. He
said that from lift off on Eighth Street to the Elks Golf Course was a six
minute flight. He added that the descent was very rapid as well. Even though it
was a quick descent, he said Abe was in good hands. Wooge landed the balloon
soft and sound in the exact location Goodman had pointed out to him.
Betsy Kleiss was also at the Eighth Street address. Saturday morning she said
that the best time of all was when all the parents came up and wanted to get
pictures of their kids in the basket with Betsy. She said for her that is just
the really wonderful part of attending a balloon activity, the people and the
awe struck kids who are just blown away (excuse the pun) by the hot air balloon,
its size and of course its beauty.
All in all, the pilots at the Oasis on Saturday morning were happy to be back in
Lincoln, and happy to have such a great gathering place for breakfast.
From the Oasis viewpoint, Director Nancy Cunningham was delighted that everyone
came. There had been a set number of tickets included in every pilot’s gift bag
for the weekend, and additional tickets were available at the door for crew or
family members to attend as well.
Cunningham was excited for the turnout and happy to be a part of the weekend.
She was also excited about another item in the room. Actually, it was a number
of items, the centerpieces on each of the tables. The centerpieces, made from
plastic canvas for needlepoint had been carefully cut and formed into
three-dimensional balloons, the strips joined together with paper brads.
Cunningham said that all the centerpieces had been made by 98-year-old Oasis
patron Alice Merreighn. Cunningham said that the Oasis had some decoration in
storage, and Alice had taken them to try and freshen them up. When she decided
that the old décor was beyond saving, she created her own versions. Each of the
balloons set on a cotton cloud in the center of the table.
On the serving line, volunteers were dishing up big plates of food, while from
the kitchen, Rick Hoefle served as the runner, checking on the serving line and
bringing in refills for serving dishes as needed.
Back in the kitchen it was Gary Leesman and Mike Cunningham who were preparing
food fresh and hot as needed for the refills.
In all it was a great start to a great day for all the pilots. Everyone was
relaxed and laid-back, just enjoying time together and soaking in the
friendliness of the community.
[Nila Smith]
MORE FROM THE OASIS
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