This page lists my helium cluster balloon flights. Flights are listed in two ways. The first is in the form of a pilot logbook: a complete chronological list of flights, along with date, location and other information. The second is a list of selected notable flights, by category. In both lists, most of the flights are linked to pages with narrative text and photos describing that flight.

Note that some of the webpages that are linked to from this page date back to as early as the late 1990's, when photos on websites were kept small due to the slow connection speeds available at the time.

 At the bottom of this page are links to pages devoted to the crew chiefs for my cluster balloon flights. The crew chief is the person who helps manage the preparations for each flight and who leads the chase vehicles following me on the ground. My crew chiefs have all come out of a background in hot-air ballooning, and I owe the success and safety of my cluster balloon flights to their effort and skill.

 

I. Pilot Logbook

(Scroll through list; click on text in the row of interest to see the related flight webpage)

>
Flight #
Balloon Name
Date
Launch Location

States Series

Crew Chief
Sponsor [1]
1
Silver Pleaides
4/15/1997
El Mirage Dry Lake, CA
No
Ernie Hartt
None
2
Mixed Bouquet
6/10/1997
El Mirage Dry Lake, CA
No
Ernie Hartt
None
3
Celebration
7/2/1997
Temecula, CA
No
Ernie Hartt
None
4
Celebration II
12/30/1997
Temecula, CA
No
Ernie Hartt
None
5
Celebration III
10/18/1998
Temecula, CA
No
Ernie Hartt
None
6
Celebration IV
5/23/1999
La Jolla, CA
No
Ernie Hartt
None
7
Celebration V
9/4/1999
Dansville, NY
No
Ernie Hartt
New York State Festival of Balloons
8
Celebration VI
12/21/1999
Murrieta, CA
No
Ernie Hartt
Senseless Acts of Video, MTV
9
Celebration VII
3/17/2001
Temecula, CA
No
Ernie Hartt
None
10
Concord
6/9/2001
Lake Skinner, CA
No
Ernie Hartt
Temecula Valley Ballon and Wine Festival / Callaway Winery
11
Celebration VIII
7/7/2001
Truckee, CA
No
Ernie Hartt
AIMS Education Foundation
12
Celebration IX
11/17/2001
Coalinga, CA
No
Ernie Hartt
None
13
Concord II
6/8/2002
Lake Skinner, CA
No
Ernie Hartt
None
14
Celebration X
8/10/2002
Oklahoma City, OK
#1
Ernie Hartt
None
15
Celebration XI
10/20/2002
Newton, KS
#2
Chuck Powell
Balloons Over Kansas
16
Celebration XII
11/23/2002
Coalinga, CA
No

Ernie Hartt

None
17
Celebration XIII
4/26/2003
Rancho California, CA
No
Ernie Hartt
None
18
Octopus
7/19/2003
Sodus Point, NY
No
Ernie Hartt
Great Sodus Bay Screen
19
Celebration XIV
8/21/2003
Bloomington, IN
#3(a)
Ernie Hartt
Bloomington Balloon Fiesta
20
Celebration XV
8/23/2003
Bloomington, IN
#3(b)
Ernie Hartt
Bloomington Balloon Fiesta
21
Celebration XVI
8/30/2003
Post Falls, ID
#4
Jerry Sebby
Lake Coeur d'Alene Balloonfest
22
Celebration XVII
9/21/2003
Queensbury, NY
#5
David Tanzer
Adirondack Balloon Festival
23
Celebration XVIII
2/1/2004
Temecula Valley, CA
No
Ernie Hartt/David Lynch
Tactical to Practical (Edelman Productions), the History Channel
24
Ladies' Night Out
7/10/2004
Wausau, WI
#6
Ernie Hartt
Wausau Area Balloon Rally
25

Celebration XIX

7/18/2004
Jackson, MI
No
Ernie Hartt
Hot-Air Jubilee
26
Celebration XX
7/24/2004
Fenton, MI
#7
Larry Vandenberg
Seven Lakes State Park Balloon Classic
27
Celebration XXI
8/3/2004
Harmony Township, NJ
#8
Ernie Hartt
Warren County Farmers' Fair
28
Celebration XXII
8/7/2004
Pittsfield, NH
#9
Ernie Hartt
Pittsfield Rotary Balloon Rally
29
Celebration XXIII
8/21/2004
Council Bluffs, IA
#10
Ernie Hartt
IWCC Lighter-than-Air Balloon Fair
30
Celebration XXIV
9/4/2004
Plymouth, IN
No
Larry Vandenberg
Marshall County Blueberry Festival
31
Cumulus
9/25/2004
Elko, NV
#11
Ernie Hartt
Ruby Mountain Balloon Festival
32
Celebration XXV
10/16/2004
Natchez, MS
#12
Larry Vandenberg
Great Mississippi River Balloon Race
33
Celebration XXVI
6/26/2005
Alliance, NE
#13
Dennis Lee
Summer Solstice at Carhenge
34
Celebration XXVII
7/2/2005
Ashland, OH
#14
Phil and Debbie Rutan
Ashland Balloon Fest
35
Celebration XXVIII
7/23/2005
Kingsport, TN
#15
Ernie Hartt
Fun Fest Balloon Rally
36
Celebration XXIX
8/5/2005
Baton Rouge, LA
#16(a)
Ernie Hartt
North American Balloon Association Nationals
37
Celebration XXX
8/6/2005
Baton Rouge, LA
#16(b)
Bob Dunnington
North American Balloon Association Nationals
38
Celebration XXXI
8/26/2005
Findlay, OH
No
Phil and Debbie Rutan
Flag City Balloon Fest
39
Celebration XXXII
9/18/2005
Faribault, MN
#17
Larry Vandenberg
Faribault Area Airfest
40
Celebration XXXIII
9/24/2005
Mancos, CO
#18
Bob Dunnington
Mancos Valley Balloon Festival
41
Celebration XXXIV
5/20/2006

Reynolds, GA

#19
Roland Escher
Taylor County Relay for Life
42
Celebration XXXV
5/28/2006
Decatur, AL
#20
Bob Dunnington
Alabama Jubilee
43
Celebration XXXVI
6/3/2006
Palestine, TX
#21
Larry Vandenberg
Heritage Balloon Festival
44
Celebration XXXVII
6/16/2006
Meadville, PA
#22
Roland Escher
Thurston Classic
45
Celebration XXXVIII
6/24/2006
Panguitch, UT
#23
Ernie Hartt
Panguitch Valley Balloon Rally
46
Celebration XXXIX
7/15/2006
Riverton, WY
#24
Ernie Hartt
Riverton Rendezvous Balloon Rally
47
Celebration XL
9/8/2006
Pontiac, IL
#25
Larry Vandenberg
SummerFest Hot-Air Balloon Classic
48
Celebration XLI
10/21/2006
Millwood, VA
#26
Roland Escher
Shenandoah Valley Hot-Air Balloon and Fine Festival
49
Celebration XLII
11/4/2006
Page, AZ
#27
Bob Dunnington
Page Lake Powell Balloon Regatta
50 Celebracion I 3/18/2007 Teotihuacan, Mexico No Ernie Hartt Festival Aerostatico Teotihuacan
51 Celebration XLIII 5/6/2007 Roswell, NM #28 Bob Dunnington Old Timers' Balloon Rally
52 Celebration XLIV   Madras, OR #29 Jerry Sebby  
53 Celebration XLV 5/27/2007 Skowhegan, ME #30 David Tanzer Skowhegan Balloon Festival
54 Celebration XLVI 6/16/2007 Quechee, VT #31 Roland Escher Quechee Balloon Festival
55 Celebration XLVII 6/22/2007 Hope, AR #32 Brian Shafer Balloons of Hope
56 Celebration XLVIII 7/22/2007 Greenfield, MA #33 Gary and Carol Weed, et al Green River Festival
57 Celebration LXIX 8/11/2007 Long Island, NY No Phil and Debbie Rutan

Metro New York Balloon and Music Festival

58 Celebration L 8/17/2007 Maysville, KY #34 Phil and Debbie Rutan Buffalo Trace Balloon Race
59 Celebration LI   Ripon, CA #35 Larry Vandenberg  
60 Celebration LII 10/6/2007 Morgantown, WV #36 Roland Escher University Motors Mountaineer Balloon Festival
61 Celebration LIII 10/27/2007 Statesville, NC #37 Gary and Carol Weed Carolina Balloon Fest
62 Celebration LIV 11/10/2007 Polk City, FL #38 Bob Dunnington Roar 'n' Soar
63 Celebracion II 3/21/2008 Teotihuacan, Mexico No Ernie Hartt Festival Aerostatico Teotihuacan
64 Celebration LV 6/14/2008 Sioux Fall, SD #39 Larry Vandenberg Great Plains Balloon Race
65 Celebration LVI 7/26/2008 Billings, MT #40

Ernie Hartt

Magic City Balloon Rally
66 Célébration 8/16/2008 Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Canada No Ernie Hartt Internationale de Montgolefieres de Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu
67 Celebration LVII 9/20/2008 Mauldin, SC #41 Larry Vandenberg Mauldinfest
68 El Hombre Globo I 11/8/2008 Chihuahua, Mexico No Ernie Hartt Fiesta del Globo
69 El Hombre Globo II 11/9/2008 Chihuahua, Mexico No Ernie Hartt Fiesta del Globo
70 Celebration LVIII   Hartford, WI No Phil and Debbie Rutan  
71 Celebration LIX 8/1/2009 Indianola, IA No Ernie Hartt National Balloon Classic
72 Celebration LX 3/6/2010 Winthrop, WA

#42

Ernie Hartt Winthrop Balloon Roundup
73 Celebracion III 3/20/2010 Teotihuacan, Mexico No Larry Vandenberg Festival Aerostatico Teotihuacan
74 Celebration LXI 7/3/2010 Driggs, ID No Larry Vandenberg Teton Valley Summer Festival
75 Celebration LXII 7/30/2010 Longview, TX No Larry Vandenberg Great Texas Balloon Race
76 Celebration LXIII 7/31/2010 Longview, TX No Larry Vandenberg Great Texas Balloon Race
77 Celebration LXIV 8/7/2010 Cumberland, RI #43 Larry Vandenberg Cumberlandfest
78 Celebration LXV

9/25/2010

New Haven, MO #44 Bob Dunnington New Haven Balloon Race
79 Celebration LXVI 10/10/2010 Canaan, CT #45 Gary and Carol Weed None
80 Celebration LXVII 5/21/2011 Union Bridge, MD No Gary and Carol Weed None
81 Célébration Deux 8/17/2011 Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Canada #46 Jacques Côté Internationale de Montgolfieres de Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu
82 Celebration LXVIII 9/10/2011 Medora, ND #47 Ernie Hartt Medora Balloon Rally


[1] Sponsoring events or organizations that provided venue and logistical support for flights. Flights are not compensated.

 

 

II. Notable Flights

"SE" = States of Enlightnement project

Scenery or Location

New Hampshire (SE)
Tennessee River Crossing
Mississippi River Crossing
Carhenge
Sierra Nevada Mountains
Teton Valley

Special Shapes

Grape Cluster
Second Grape Cluster
Octopus
On Top of a Hot-air Balloon

International

Teotihuacan (2007)
Teotihuacan (2008)
Quebec (2008)
Chihuahua

Poetry and Fiction

Nevada (SE)
Vermont (SE)
Utah (SE)
North Dakota (SE)
Teotihuacan (2008)
New Mexico (SE)

 

III. Crew Chiefs

Click on name to view biographical information.

Ernie Hartt

Larry Vandenberg

Bob Dunnington

Roland Escher