The Temecula Valley Balloon and Wine Festival is one of the largest balloon events in California. I approached Rusty Manning, festival CEO and owner of A Grape Escape Balloon Adventure, with my idea: a cluster balloon in the form of a bunch of grapes. It would be he worlds first "special shape" cluster balloon, or the world's first person-carrying balloon sculpture, depending how you looked at it. Rusty was very supportive, and the Callaway Vineyard and Winery generously agreed to sponsor my flight. And so I was off on my Grape Adventure.
Unfortunately, I learned that my regular balloon supplier does not make purple balloons in my regular seven-foot size. After a lot of phone calls and e-mails, the best I was able to do was purple and lavender balloons in four- and five-foot sizes. This would require roughly 150 balloons to fly, rather than my normal 50 -- my crew chief Ernie cringed when I told him this. Luckily, fellow balloonist Jerry Sebby lent his expertise to the process, devising a system of manifolds and hoses that would make it possible to inflate the balloons much more rapidly and uniformly. I worked out the arrangement of balloon sizes and colors, string lengths and risers (webbing straps to which the balloons attach) that would result in what I hoped would resemble a bunch of grapes.
I named my craft the Concord.
The inflation started at 4 AM at Lake Skinner. There were about twenty-five people there to help -- ballooning friends and festival volunteers. The new inflation system worked well, and thanks to all our planning, things were no more chaotic than usual for a cluster balloon inflation. |
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We attached the balloons to the webbing risers that would give the balloon it's shape: green balloons on a central "stem"; four high risers with fifteen balloons each to form the top of the bunch of grapes; and four low risers with twelve smaller balloons each for the bottom. |
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By then, the hot-air balloons were preparing to launch. Jerry, who would be following me in his hot-air balloon, began inflating beside me.
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I got into my harness, and
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We launched a pibal to verify that my direction as I ascended would keep me away from the crowd -- an FAA rule for "ultralight vehicles" like the cluster balloon. I let Jerry lift off first, then had the crew release me. |
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Up went the giant bunch of grapes.
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There were some cheers as I went up. I waved to everyone on the ground. Jerry followed along beside me in his hot-air balloon.
This was my first time flying a cluster so close to so many hot-air balloons. It was wonderful being up in the sky with all of them, although it meant I had to be constantly watching for traffic.
It was a beautiful day for flying with balloons.
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The winds were light. I continued southeast across the brushy fields and hillsides of the park.
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Finally, after a little over an hour in the air, I landed.
That's the story of the Concord: the worlds first "special shape" cluster balloon and/or the world's first man-carrying balloon sculpture, depending on how you look at it. So if you're a bit into your cups at a wine festival and think you see someone being carried off into the sky by a giant bunch of grapes, don't worry too much -- it may be my friends and I, out flying cluster balloons!
Crew Roster: Cluster Balloon "Concord"
Norm Best
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Holly Galbraith
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Cathy Sebby
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