Balloonists love to share their sport. Most find indescribable joy in seeing people take their first hot air balloon ride. They love to share their passion.
Kate Legend and Scott Hardenbrook are from Columbus, Ohio. They were in Charlotte, NC celebrating their first year dating anniversary. Scott arranged the hot air balloon ride to commemorate their adventurous year.
When they showed up they said they weren't nervous, but rather excited. It was joyful and contagious.
They flew with experienced pilot Drew Egerton, of Air-Olina Aviation. Drew grew up in the ballooning community. His parents, Louise and Buck, are both pilots in the Asheville area. Drew had his first ride at age four, as did his son (now 6) who was along for the day.
Drew's crew chief and girlfriend, Taylor Pigg, is a pilot herself. Her first "real" date with Drew was going on a balloon ride. She got the bug and knew she wanted to be a pilot pretty quickly, She has had her private license for a year now. That day, however, she was there to crew and chase the balloon.
Ballooning can't happen at just any time due to unstable winds during the day. In North Carolina pilots have two possible windows of opportunity - right after sunrise or late afternoon before sunset. Weather is critical and flights can't happen when conditions are not correct. You always want to fly with a pilot who takes this part of their job very seriously and cautiously.
Legend and Hardenbrook experienced that caution for their flight. They were originally slated to fly late Saturday afternoon, but Egerton didn't like weather conditions. He moved their flight until early Saturday morning.
The couple came to Iredell County to fly. Iredell County has more pilots than most communities. The Firefly balloon factory is in Statesville, as is the Carolina BalloonFest, the second oldest balloon festival consecutively held in the United States. Balloons flying overhead are not an unusual sight for residents in this area.
That morning Egerton and Pigg put Legend and Hardenbrook to work. They held open the "mouth" of the colorful balloon, named Hot-N-Heavy when it was being filled with cold air. When that was done, Egerton added some propane heat, that stood the balloon up and subsequently took it up in the air.
When all was ready on the ground it was time for Legend and Hardenbrook to climb into the basket. In just a few minutes, they were in the air. How long would they be up? It's impossible to tell. It could be 20 minutes or an hour or even longer. It depends on things like weather conditions, speed, and potential landing spots.
Pilots pick their launch spot, but as is sometimes said, God decides where they land. They look for an area large enough to take down the balloon without power lines or other obstacles to get in the way. They need to stay away from things that could tear the balloon's fabric. Do you see a balloon landing in your cul de sac? It is probably being done on purpose. Check with the pilot before worrying that it is a crash.
Statistically speaking, ballooning is a very safe form of travel. There's a 99% chance that a cul de sac landing is normal and done because that was the pilot's best option at the time. It happens daily around the world. They'll pack that balloon up and be out of your way quickly.
Egerton often competes in ballooning competitions with great success. One of the skills he has developed over the years is the ability to pick his landing spot early in the flight. For him it is practice and a bit of a game - he tries to perfect that skill for future competitions.
For this particular flight, Egerton flew longer than usual, an hour and 40 minutes. They flew over the edge of the lake and from Mooresville through Troutman to Statesville. The balloon flew a total of 15 miles.
Thirty minutes before landing Egerton called his target landing spot, the field of some friends of ballooning. He made it. That took skill, a lot of knowledge, and focus. Add in some luck.
When safely landed down on the ground, Legend and Hardenbrook were thrilled with their first experience flying in a hot air balloon.
Hardenbrook said, "It was beautiful and more serene than I expected, especially by the water."
His girlfriend Legend said "It was peaceful. I thought it would be more of an adrenaline rush."
She was beaming - she didn't seem disappointed.
After the flight, Egerton gave a brief history of ballooning, and shared the Balloonist's Prayer before a champagne toast, and presenting them a certificate of their flight.
"May the winds welcome you with softness.
May the sun bless you with its warm hands.
May you fly so high and so well that God
joins you in laughter and sets you gently
back into the loving arms of Mother Earth." - Author Unknown
Another great day for balloonists, watching two people experience the joys of ballooning for the first time.
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