The first weekend in June may seem a long time after the 1995 season to declare a national champion, but the 20 competitors who converged on Lafayette, Louisiana didn’t seem to mind. We had come to decide who was best among the pilots who compete on Rob & Jetta Schantz’ Balloon Tour America circuit. Some of us were late entries, here not so much as a result of championship scores, but because of a weather cancellation that had moved the event from April to June. Still BTA dipped only into the top 50 finalists to fill the field of competitors. A number of fiesta flyers would join the field to complete the event.
The Cajundome served as the backdrop to our flights, complete with a carnival and midway for the benefit of the spectators. Our launch site proved immense as did many of the fields we would land in over the next few days... thankfully so as wind speeds on the Friday morning event were measured by GPS at 30+ mph!
We began with a media flight Thursday evening. An ad hoc hare and hound with each participant tossing $20 into the pot livened the competition. Somehow this reporter managed a first place drop and like a good riverboat gambler I found myself ahead by $120 before the competition officially began.
Following the flight we were treated to some Louisiana hospitality courtesy of the _____ where a buffet featuring shrimp enchiladas and crawfish etouffe’ was served. M’mm M’mm!!
Friday morning brought deceptively calm winds on the surface. A simple one-part hare and hound was the task. However, as soon as we were airborne it was obvious the calm winds had disappeared. We were scootin’! All but one competitor scored, Kevin Miko was first at 4 feet 1 inch and Wil Lapointe last at 136 feet 6 inches.
Summer afternoon thunder showers would spoil plans for an afternoon competition, but the Friday evening glow was a crowd pleaser as usual.
Saturday morning and things get a bit trickier. The task is BTA favorite, the old Louisiana shuffle.... you have to follow a hare balloon but on the way, hit a judge declared goal. In this case we had a choice of two goals. I saw them both from about 500 feet as I flew right down the middle of both. It’s amazing how fast a balloon can cover a short one mile distance. John Petrehn took top honors on the JDG at 3 feet 5 inches.
On to the hare balloon we flew. At the first hare target it was again John Petrehn, this time with a 0’0” drop, but Wil Lapointe was gaining ground at second with a 1 foot 4 inch toss.
A wind shift that seemed to bless only the hare balloon then left almost everyone singing “Gone with the Wind” as only four pilots could score, and then position points only. Kevin Miko was first at 362 feet!
Saturday evening’s show was again hampered by rain so it was off in search of some real Louisiana cookin’ which we discovered at the Gator Cove. Mudbugs (crawfish) and beer was the order of the night, though some of us tried other delicacies like blackened gator (alligator). As balloon gatherings often do this one got a bit rowdy. Before the night was over Steve Lombardi was doing his impression of a Cajun Edward Scissorhands (crawfish heads and pinchers on all ten fingers) and Bill Bussey would earn the nickname “Butterlips” while teaching everyone the mating call of the cherished Mudbug. The evening recalled for many memories of the US Nationals in Baton Rouge. It was that kind of night. No place but Louisiana.
Sunday morning dawned clear and calm... dead calm. A multiple part hare and hound was called by Balloonmeister Rob Schantz. Minutes after the hare launched, with the hounds still grounded, the FAA stepped in as the airport had gone IFR with Fog. Hurriedly the hare was recalled and we were put on hold.
Soon the skies cleared and the hare returned so we started all over. Did I mention that it was calm? For the next 2 hours or more the sky above the Cajundome was filled with balloons each chasing the hare which could managed to place three targets... all within one block of each other. It was unlike anything this reporter had witnessed... the hare placing the first target in a field across the street from the launch site, then climbing high to box back to the launch site where the second target was displayed, then flying low and across the same street to place a third target in a field one block left of the first!
For the hounds this proved a confounding event. The steering held long enough for everyone to score on the first target. Twelve scored on the second and only seven scored on the third. Most of us landed within the same city block we had launched from, all nearly exhausted of fuel.
Mother Nature put on one final display for us Sunday evening, enough to force an end to the competition. We huddled under the briefing tent to await the awards ceremony.
For the championship division the winners were:
1st Pat Fogue, 2nd Scott McClinton and 3rd, John Petrehn. Fiesta winners were 1st Bill Murtorff, 2nd Grant Aiello and 3rd Bill Novelli.
It had been a wonderful weekend of fun. flying and food. Where else could you find a pilot briefing being led in the YMCA dance by Kenny Shumate? Where else can you land between a Ferris wheel and a Tilt-a-Whirl safely? (Ask me about it sometime!) And where else can you enjoy the down home hospitality (not to mention their sponsorship) of the Cajundome staff. There’s just something in the air (or maybe its the mudbugs) that makes ballooning in Louisiana special!