Aerostation 
 The Art of Ballooning 

Hot Air Balloon Flight Record - 26Aug2006
Plainville Hot Air Balloon Festival

Launch:  Plainville, CT - Norton Park   Duration:  0:55
Land:  Bristol, CT   Distance:  3.67
<<Prev     Next>>

Map of the flight


This is a Google Earth version of the track and should open in your local Google Earth. For more information or to install Google Earth on your system, go to Google Earth.

The forecast was bad this year, with a chance of showers to thunderstorms all weekend. Reality, as usual, is not the same as a forecast. Friday night we drove to Plainville in rain. Saturday morning started with showers that stopped eventually.

Saturday evening showed no showers moving into the area, the sky had been overcast the entire day but the ground has dried out. I got off with Dave and Jim and started NW in the general direction of the other balloons. We had I pleasant flight trying to stay as far east as we went. Jim got a couple blocks of burner time. After crossing US 6 we started to get serious about landing sites. We could see openings in an arc in front of us, which was good because the direction would keep shifting about 15 degrees on us.

A bit north of US 6 we crossed the back of a baseball field - about 10 feet away from the edge of the tree line. In front were some playing field lights and what looked like tree clear areas. As we got close we found playing files to the right that might have been difficult to get out of, and a school with open parking lot ahead spreading to the left. Tried to run down the center of the fenced baseball diamond to the parking lot but we shifted left toward the back of the school.

MANY spectators arrived to watch so we had plenty of help walking the balloon back to the parking lot and deflating. We has so many kids as we milked the balloon that it was totally off the ground! I had to work fast to get the crown line ready to pack up so we could walk it back to the bag and drop it in. Talk about a cast of thousands.

Sunday morning was also good. We inflated Carlos' balloon so he could get some flight time. The equipment needs it because the fan sets around too long and then won't start.


<<Prev     Next>>


[ HOME ]

Comments or questions? Contact us

This page modified: August 14 2023 16:52:50.