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 The balloonists were divided into four groups and
sent to four locations throughout the city. Lift offs took place at
Mayfair Park in the Mayfair Subdivision, Dugan Center on the far
north end of McLean Street, the city owned lot on Eighth Street that
is the former location of the Abraham Lincoln Memorial Hospital, and
the residence of Lincoln Alderman and City Clerk Kevin and Peggy
Bateman.
On Eighth Street the crowds were gathering and waiting when the
pilots and their crews arrived for the inflation and flight event.
Watching the balloons is a true family activity and many children
were present with their parents, grandparents, and other loved ones.
They came together in groups and spent the evening watching and
anxiously waiting for the first balloon to take to the skies.
When those first balloons made it into the air, the crowd rewarded
them with loud applause and cheers. Kids especially were super
excited when the pilots looked down from the skies and gave them a
wave as they quickly flew away from the location.
And some, were simply in awe of what they were seeing and sat
spellbound watching the giant globes fly away.
There were 10 balloons set to lift off at Eighth Street, but a few
chose not to fly on Friday night. From a spectator viewpoint, it
appeared that the wind speeds might have been greater at the higher
altitudes as those balloons that launched were in the air and gone
in a flash. Other balloonists waited for the upper winds to get a
little slower and drifted more slowly away from the launch site.
Before, during and after the launch on Eight Street, the Lincoln
Memorial Hospital Fitness Park, which is located on the corner of
that city owned lot, was a popular distraction for young visitors.
Kids enjoyed trying out the various aspects of the exercise park
throughout the evening.
At Dugan Center on Friday evening, the excitement filled the air as
did the balloons that were scheduled to take off from that large
grassy area.
Again, the site brought in many visitors there to see for the first
time this year, the process of inflating and launching a hot air
balloon.
As the balloons were preparing to launch, the Dugan site would be
the one where Logan County Tourism Bureau Director Alice Roate would
be. She shared beforehand that she was going up with her pilot. It
would be a first time experience for her and she was looking forward
to it very much. Roate and friend Jake McCray took to the skies with
pilot Rob Mezey in his balloon named Beau Soleil.
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As the balloons were being laid out for inflation, some were
distracted by what was happening out on the street. A large red tour
bus was making its way through the narrow opening left by the many
cars parked on both sides of the road. Soon a group came bustling
over to the grassy airy, excited about being there, they set up
their lawn chairs and settled in to the evening of watching balloons
take to the skies. The group said they were there for the evening.
They were a church group from Washington, Illinois, most of whom had
never been to the balloon weekend in Lincoln. A couple of people had
come in the past, and it was on their urging that the entire group
decided to make the trip to Lincoln for a pleasant Friday night.
Later in the evening, when the balloons had all launched, the group
loaded up and made its way downtown in the big red bus. There, they
enjoyed a night of visiting food vendors, taking in the sights and
enjoying a great band.
Again, the Dugan Center location was a great place for young and old
alike. The green space around the launch site was abuzz with
families gathered in small groups with kids playing on the lawn as
they awaited the first launch.
Lawn chairs were set, blankets were laid and it felt like a lazy
summer evening where people could visit while they sat relaxing and
children could run free without too many restraints, expelling their
energy and getting them ready to settle and enjoy what was yet to
come.
When the balloons began to take flight, visitors clapped and cheered
and did what they could to express their awe and appreciation for
the show they were watching.
Like the event on Eighth Street, not all the balloons scheduled for
the Dugan Center lift off event actually made it into the air. But,
there was interest even in those who did not fly.
Guests had the experience of seeing what happens during deflation of
a balloon. Fire and Ice with pilot Andrew Robinson did inflate but
did not lift off. Instead, guests had the pleasure of seeing what it
looks like when all the air goes out of a hot air balloon. While
inflation is exhilarating to watch, deflation is much more graceful
than one would expect.
As the air leaves the balloon the collapse carries its own unique
beauty. The balloon, which the pilots refer to as the envelope,
gently falls off to one side, the cloth taking on interesting angles
and folds. While inflation is loud with fans and fire, deflation is
quiet and graceful in its own special way.
Many guests watched with a new kind of appreciation and respect for
the work that goes into being a member of the pilot’s crew. The crew
members knew exactly what to do to assist the balloon in its descent
and deflation. Then it was time to lay it back out, bunch it up and
put it back in its bag.
While all the other balloons were gone, taken by the wind to
locations unknown, many of the visitors stayed at the lot to witness
the fall of Fire and Ice.
Then it was on to enjoy the rest of the evening with lots yet to do
in the downtown area of Lincoln on the first night of Balloons Over
66 weekend.
[Nila Smith / Karen Hargis]
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