Jason Cross
National Balloon Classic (cont'd) |
The
wind carried me off to the southeast of Indianola. After my intial acceleration
coming off the field, my speed did not increase much as I ascended, staying
in the 16 to 19 mph range. I released a few balloons to slow my ascent,
but remained in a slow climb. |
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The
country was surprisingly pretty from above. The fields were different
textures and shades of green, depending on the type of crop. There were
wooded areas here and there. Small creeks were evident mostly from the
trees and vegetation lining them, and many farms had large ponds. |
| I
continued to rise to about 3000 feet AGL. It had been in the 80's and
humid back at the balloon field, but up at altitude the temperature was
pleasant. About twenty minutes into my flight, I could see the hot-air
balloons starting to launch in the distance. |
| I
watched my crew following in the truck. It was hard to tell one truck
from another at that altitude, but I called out landmarks I thought they
were passing via radio, and they agreed. I watched them work their way
east and sometimes south on the grid of roads. I tracked their progress
on the map provided by the Classic. I asked Marj to check the wind whenever
they stopped, and she reported back that the wind on the surface had calmed
quite a bit. With that news I was able to relax a bit, knowing that my
landing would probably not involve digging a furrow with my face. |
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After
a time I was nearing the edge of the map. I called down and said I intended
to fly on, as long as I was not headed fora large river or the Grand Canyon
of Iowa or other obstacle. Mark, one of the Classic volunteers who had
joined my crew on chase, told me I was probably OK. |
