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 The
weather was perfect, and beside the roar of the burners keeping the
balloon afloat, nothing was heard but silence and great
conversation.
At last year’s Balloons Over 66 weekend, I made a joke to my editor
Nila Smith that it would be my turn to go up in a balloon next year.
Nila told me we had a deal. Little did I know, she was going to
remember that deal a year later and make it happen. So, for that, I
say thank you, Nila.
My wife, Abigail, father-in-law, Nelson, son, Grayson, and I all
arrived at the Comfort Inn and Suites just off Woodlawn Road at
about 5:15 in the early evening. The parking lot was filling up with
flight teams, riders, and spectators. I got the chance to speak with
a couple of local celebrities including Seth Goodman and our own
mayor Tracy Welch who was helping crew the Goodman balloon, Honest
Abe. I also got a chance to meet the pilot who I would fly with, Jim
Phelan.
Someone released a small black balloon, and it took
to the sky. The point of that balloon was.to see where the wind was
blowing. This is a very important step since hot air balloons are
destined to go where the winds take them. The balloon slowly drifted
northwest, away from town and over I-55. It was decided that we
would lift off from the former Oddfellows Children’s Home on Wyatt
Avenue . Once the launch location had been decided, everyone got in
their vehicles and made their way to the other side of town.
Once at the launch site, I got to briefly talk with
Jim and his team. I filled out a few forms and was given all the
rules of going up in a hot air balloon. Everyone was very kind,
greeting me with a smile. I got some good photographs as the team
rolled out and inflated the balloon. After about fifteen minutes,
the balloon got off the ground, the basket was turned upright, and I
hopped in it with Jim.
Standing inside the basket of a hot air balloon for the first time
while it is airborne is a strange mixture of feeling like you’re
standing on solid ground, but at the same time, the feeling that any
sudden movement may make the basket turn over. As Jim and I adjusted
our footing while the balloon was in the air, the basket would rock
a small bit, but then quickly settle back down.
The weather and lighting were absolutely perfect, and
as the balloon ascended into the sky, a strange calmness washed over
me. This is a calmness I’ve only felt a select few times in my life:
visiting Niagara Falls and watching the sun rise over the Grand
Canyon. I feel that the only apt word to describe the experience
would be majestic.
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Jim and I had a great conversation, talking about all
manner of things from places we’ve traveled to the weather. The
calmness of the experience and solitude of the air really creates an
atmosphere conducive to getting to know someone. While the
occasional roar of the burners were a bit distracting, they were an
acceptable part of an exciting experience.
While I would tell you exactly how long we were in the air, in
truth, I lost track of time. What I can tell you is that the
experience was over far too soon. I would have easily stayed at that
altitude for an hour or more. Alas, there likely would not be enough
fuel for the length of time I’d stay afloat.
We started to descend sometime after we had taken off. Slowly but
surely, we made our way down toward a bean field to the east of
Holly Drive. This is the field behind the International Paper
Company building on the corner of 5th and Old Route 66. Jim
navigated the balloon to a patch of grass between two sections of
beans, trying his best not to land on them. We made touchdown at the
western end of the grass patch, a bit of a way off from any road.
Jim and I waited for his team for as long as we could before he
decided it would be best to collapse the balloon ourselves. I got
out and pulled the basket, being careful not to take my weight off
of it. Since I was now out of the basket, the balloon was liable to
try and take off again, leaving me disappointed that it didn’t take
me back up with it.
About the time we got the balloon on its side, some
helpful neighbors from the area came out of their houses and offered
their help. With their assistance, the teardown of the balloon only
took about fifteen minutes. In the meantime, Jim’s flight crew made
their way to us, making the teardown process go even quicker.
I left feeling a sense of excitement and sadness. I love knowing
that I live in a town where people get together and do this each
year. On the other hand, I’m not sure the next time I am going to be
able to fly in one.
The next time I see one of the many balloons flying across the sky,
I will have a new appreciation for the aircraft and the pilot
within. I urge you, if you have never ridden in a hot air balloon
and have any interest at all in doing so, go for it if you are able.
You may enjoy the experience almost as much as I did, or who knows,
maybe even more. I know I will certainly be on the lookout for my
next opportunity to fly.
[Matt Boutcher]
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