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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 |
|
|
II. Notable Flights
"SE" = States of Enlightnement project
|
Scenery or Location
New Hampshire (SE) |
Special Shapes Grape Cluster |
International Teotihuacan (2007)
|
Poetry and Fiction
Nevada (SE) |
III. Crew Chiefs
Click on
name to view biographical information. |