Concord II
Concord II
This was our second year putting up the "bunch of grapes" cluster balloon at the Temecula Valley Balloon and Wine Festival. This year's Concord II was 128 rather than 156 balloons, and had a looser, more natural and somewhat "pointier" shape than last year's Concord. The festival lived up to it's nickname of "Fog Festival" although the sun appeared to be shining up above the clouds....
inflationStarting at 4 AM, in the dark. The balloons are huge, shiny and wonderful -- seven months is too long to go without flying with helium balloons! |
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Waiting for the fog to clear enough to fly, I adjust the balloons and ballast so I'm almost weightless, and do some slow-motion leaping around the balloon field. |
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on top of Jerry's balloonErnie laughs at me when I say I want to climb on top of Jerry's hot-air balloon -- but Ernie is no fun anymore since he started teaching school full time. But he knows me too well, and up I go on Jerry's crown line. |
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It's
hard to hold on while I'm hovering on top of 'Hot Rocks', especially when Jerry
vents a lot of hot-air out the top. Finally, I decide not to wait for
Jerry.
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I
let go |
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It's overcast, and I spend half an hour flying around Lake Skinner, just under the cloud ceiling.
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Finally the clouds seem to be breaking.
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I
(c) Dean Ekdahl (3 images, left) |
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I
see |
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Up
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The
clouds break up.
I land back in Lake Skinner park where I took off, and a ranger drives up to
lend us a hand.
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It's a beautiful morning.
Concord II
Ernie Hartt,
Crew Chief |
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Rev 020615
