Plano Balloon Festival, 2005
Well, It's been over a year since I met the SunKissed Crew in Alpine and exactly one year since my first full event with them in Plano. It's time to revisit My home turf, this time as an official crew member. My ex-inlaws (outlaws?), Bruce and Raylene LeRoy from Ponca City, Oklahoma have listened to me "yack" about ballooning for a year now. Plano is relatively close and they're looking for a reason to come visit. This festival will suffice. Raylene brings her really-cool camera and gets some nice shots. Some are posted here with her credits in the captions. (Thanks, Raylene. You're better behind the camera than I am and it's added a lot more here than I had time to take.)
No media flight this year so the crew gathers on the field, Friday afternoon before the first "mass ascension". Raylene's picture with her husband, Bruce, in the ballcap and sunglasses, standing just to Marsha's right.
Mike's the lucky passenger this afternoon. We're inflated and ready to go, just waiting for the go-ahead from the launch officials. It's "weight-on" as we wait for the signal. That's Bruce (left) and me (right) hanging on to the near side of the basket in this picture by Raylene.
We get the signal and Raylene gets this shot of Mike and Ann as they leave the field.
Passing the treeline on the South/East side off the launch field, Raylene gets this picture as they join "the fleet", one of the best SunKissed pictures I've seen. A good flight, according to pilot and passenger. Ann landed in a field somewhere around the Plano-Frisco border which had very limited "vehicle access". The chase crew's first approach to the landing field was on the side opposite from the only access road. I "bailed" from the chase car and trotted the 1/4 mile to the landing site to help manage the envelope while the rest of the crew found their way around to the entry gate.
It's Saturday morning, now and Raylene gets this picture of Judy and me holding the lines during the "cold pack". (There's a fan, off-camera, right, built on a rolling stand with a lawn mower engine turning an airplane propeller driving air in to the envelope.)
Some of the new balloons join us.
..... Along with some of our (old?) favorites.
Bruce watches as we complete the inflation process. Little does he know at this time that he will be "floating" about 500 feet over the town of Plano in about 20 minutes.
Ann puts the decision on Bruce and Raylene, "which one of you is going flying with me this morning?" Bruce gets the job and we load him in to the basket with Susan while Judy and the rest of us keep them on the ground until launch time. I guess if "TIJUANA M.E.X.I.C.O" was Bruce's preferred destination this morning, we fell a little short. This is another of Raylene's great pictures.
Raylene catches this picture of me as I grin at Bruce. The balloon is starting to "bouy" off the ground just a little and I think Bruce is having second thoughts about this "flying without an engine" thing.
Winds are really calm this morning so Raylene gets this neat shot of SunKissed's leisurely rise in to the cloudy, Plano morning air.
The flight begins so slow that, before we pack up and begin the chase, there's time for Raylene to catch a picture of Airabell, fully inflated, before she begins her morning flight. If you're wondering, "How big is Airabell?", check out the cars and trailer by her hind legs. And for you kiddies, I'm sorry but this morning's flight plan did not include flying "over the moon."
Ann managed to find a great landing spot behind a "strip-mall" in far North-West Frisco this morning. While the case crew could get our vehicle no closer than the mall's parking lot, Ann, Susan and Bruce managed to keep SunKissed upright until the crew could arrive and "walk" her closer to our chase car. After packing up, everyone is hungry so we defer the "First Flight" ceremony until we can fill our bellies at a local Mexican resturant.
Back on the ground, bellies filled, it's time for the ceremony. Bruce thinks that, after the history lesson on hot-air balloning and the balloner's prayer, it's just a simple "toast" to our success.
Well, being inside, we had to keep the "dousing" to a minimum and I think Bruce's expression tells you more than the wet spots on his shirt.
A little rest for all and before you know it, it's time for Saturday night's "glow party". All of Saturday night's pictures are by my ex-sisterinlaw, Raylene.
Some of the new balloons look pretty interesting when they glow.
Once we're vertical, a little re-positioning is in order.
Propane and Too Cool begin their burn to the vertical.
Next door, Five Dollars does the same.
It's "Twinkle-burn" time.
One final blast from SunKissed before we take her down.
Plano's glow-fest is always followed by a fireworks display. After packing up and before the fireworks, Raylene managed to get Pilot and crew to sit still for one picture in front of SunKissed's trailer. Before my arrival on the scene, this group was affectionately known as "Six Pack". While trying to get us together for this picture, everyone kept calling for "Six Pack plus one" or "Six Pack and Roadie, over by the trailer." After the picture, we were officially renamed by Paula ...... "The Magnificent Seven".
.... and before we all went our separate ways, Raylene managed to get all of our friends and family present (outlaws not included) in to this picture. If anyone can give me ALL of the names, I'll update this caption with same.
It's time now for the Sunday "awards brunch" before we all go our separate ways.
Mike seems very attentive during the preliminaries. Marsha keeps a close eye on him to insure proper "vital signs".
Gregg and Susan are a wonderful couple. They travel the road of life together, in harmony, even though they're not always looking in the same direction at the same time during the trip.
Ok - honest truth on this one .... During a break in the "action", Dick reviews some of the pictures in his cell phone while Judy dips a carrot stick in some dip to Dick's right. Decorum prohibits me from telling you what this looks like to me so make up your own story. If it's better than mine, please let me know. (But don't tell Judy or Dick!)
Later, we're all watching our raffle ticket numbers for prize announcements. I'm so engrossed, I miss Ann's name. No, it's not a raffle winner, she won a prize in a pilot's competition! Her first, and I can't get my camera out fast enough. The best I could do is catch this glimpse of her returning to her table with her "loot".
Here it is, folks, Ann's first winnings as a "professional balloon pilot"! (Well, at least as far as the BFA knows. ... That little beer-can-tossing contest in Talequah a couple of weeks ago doesn't really count!)
Ann placed in the hare-and-hound competition this weekend! As always, Ann places the safety and happiness of her crew and their family and guests above all competitive goals. It's nice to finally see her skills recognized in the presence of her ballooning peers.
The weekend was enjoyed by all. Many of the crew brought family and friends to share in our fun and everyone returned home, safely with fond memories of Plano, '05.
Next stop, Albuquerque.