Riders view balloon race at a slow pace

By Annabel Girard
Staff Writer

"Breathtaking. It's so still and calm."

Going up, up and away in a hot-air balloon made such an impression on Charlotte Hammond she can still recall last year's event as though it were yesterday.

Chris Elsea was another passenger in the 1995 Hot-Air Balloon Race held as part of The Great American Brass Band Festival.``It's different than anything I've felt before,'' he said. ``The first 60 seconds are a little eerie.''

The hot-air balloon race Friday night of festival can be just as awesome for the earthbound. The event, sponsored by Hometown Radio and Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield, will be at Danville-Boyle County Airport off Airport Road in Junction City.

Gates open at 5 p.m. and lift off is about 7 p.m., depending on weather conditions. Rain or high winds can delay or postpone the race.

There will be plenty for spectators. Before the race starts, you can wander in the take-off area and talk with balloonists and passengers. Several brass bands will be scheduled to perform and ultra-light planes will put on an exhibition.

Rick Schobel, coordinator of the race for Hometown Radio, said empathically there will be refreshments. Last year, concessions were lined up, but failed to show up.

Schobel also encourages people to bring a picnic supper and make an evening of the event. There is no seating, so bring lawn chairs or a blanket.

At least 30 balloons are expected. Schobel said as many as 35 could be on hand. He's hoping to break last year's record when 31 were on hand, which makes it a major state ballooning event. There were 39 balloons at this year's Kentucky Derby hot-air balloon race.

Hammond even found the ground part of ballooning exciting. The balloons are stretched out flat on the ground, baskets at the ready. When the signal to start begins, pilots being filling the balloons with hot air. The balloons gradually float to an upright position and softly drift upward.

``They're competing to get off first,'' she said. She rode in the balloon sponsored by her employer, Central Kentucky Federal Savings Bank.

Elsea, owner of Ace Printing and Computers, rode in an unsponsored balloon.

``It was like the rest of the world was so small,'' Hammond said. ``When you're up and above and look down and it's so quiet; you see so many things at one time.''

Adding to the color are the balloons themselves. Being able to talk to other passengers and pilots emphasized the quiet of floating through the air.

The balloons follow a ``hare'' balloon which determines the finish line and marks a big X. The balloon that drops a sack of grass seed closest to the X wins the race.

It takes skill to get to the X. ``All the time, the pilot is looking for the perfect air,'' Hammond said. ``It looked all the same to me.''

From her peaceful ride above the flurry of the earthbound, Hammond watched the frantic scramble as the ground crews started following their balloons on the highway and cars started leaving the event.

``That was the fun part, seeing the traffic following,'' she said.

Elsea said the ride is a little more hectic than it looks from the ground because the pilot moving up and down looking for wind currents and watching out for other balloons. ``They are constantly adjusting things,'' he said.

Even with all the adjustments the ride is smooth. ``There's no feeling of movement,'' Hammond said. ``You just seem to float and glide up and down and sideways.''

Except when the heaters are fired, the ride is quiet, allowing pilots and passengers to talk to each other.

``It's very still and calming,'' Hammond said.

To reach the event site, take U.S. 127 (Hustonville Road) south past the Wal-Mart SuperCenter. Turn left at the second road past the Wal-Mart stoplight. The route will be marked.

Airport Road turns left off this road just past Pack's Nursery. The entrance to the balloon race is just to the right of a gray metal building. (Do not use the main airport entrance, since this is reserved for the balloonists.)

Organizers suggest bringing lawn chairs.