by Nita Bateman
photography by Paul Hiffmeyer
Over 120 hot air balloons added
a spectacular rainbow of color to the sparsely cloudy skies over Rancho
San Rafael Park September 7-9 for the 16th Annual Great Reno Balloon Race.
Despite the threatening weather that blew into Reno earlier in the week,
the skies cleared up on Friday, making way for another successful three-day
event.
Eighty-nine pilots participated in Media Day on Thursday as a test run for the three days that followed. I was a passenger in Curt Pengelly's new "Fan Dancer," a beautiful black and multi-fluorescent colored balloon from Boise, Idaho, sponsored by the Sands Regency Hotel Casino. After launching we flew in a northeasterly direction, following Reno's light winds beyond N. McCarran Blvd., past old 395, eventually landing in an industrial area after waiving a friendly "good morning" to nearby residents outside with their morning coffee. We were greeted by a handful of eager adults and children alike, all wanting to see the billowing giant up close. It always thrills me to see the eyes of the children grow in amazement at the size of the balloon and listen to their questions like, "How do you get this big thing to fly?" It makes me appreciate the exhilarating sport of hot air ballooning and feel like a kid again myself!
Early-risers who rolled out of bed for the spectacular Dawn Patrol were treated to the sight of five very special balloons rising into the pre-dawn sky like glowing giants. Steve Turner, Jeanne Anson, Ken O'Connor, Dana Thornton and Larry Houska provided the orchestrated rising of the Dawn Patrol, bringing their unique magic to thousands of spectators below.
The traditional Hare & Hound Race took place Friday, Saturday and Sunday with the two Norwest Bank balloons, Miss Penny and Lil Buck, acting as the hares. Splitting the pack of hounds, Miss Penny was the first to launch with Lil Buck following after a 15 minute interval. Each hare balloon flew off in a separate direction looking for an ideal area to place their target. The pilots of the chasing hounds steered their balloons, ascending and descending to find the best wind current for maneuvering after their chosen hare.
Up, up and away was the theme Friday as more than 100 ground crews worked hard to kick off the first day of the Great Reno Balloon Race. In a dizzy array of colors spectators watched not only the regular shapes, but a giant cow, a hamburger, a killer whale, a moving van, a two-story birthday cake, a towering champagne bottle and the space shuttle take form before their eyes.
To start the mass ascension on Saturday, Miss Penny took off in a direction north of the University of Nevada looking for a field to touch down in and layout its target. It eventually chose a site northeast of town along Socrates Drive, but by 8 a.m., only a few balloons were able to reach that area. Consequently, most pilots flew on to rendezvous with the target of the second hare. Lil Buck placed its marker close to a house situated on the side of the hill just North of the field along N. McCarran Boulevard. The site was close enough to the launch field that it provided spectators an opportunity to see the balloons as they maneuvered their way close to the target area. Many balloons landed in the field that surrounded the house and thanks to the cooperative and understanding landowner, chase crews were able to gain access and retrieve the balloons. To show their appreciation, several pilots who landed in the field presented the landowner with T-shirts and balloon pins.
Further entertainment was provided back on the launch field Saturday and Sunday, by the Community Launch pilots demonstrating their great piloting skills as they filled the airspace over Rancho San Rafael Park. The Community Launch balloonists launched from approximately two miles outside the Park radius after receiving the green light from, 780 KOH, the event's official radio station. Maneuvering their way to the pasture land of the Park, one by one they tossed their bean bag at the "X" that had been placed in the center field. The pilot whose marker came closest to the target won the daily race and the pilot with the shortest accumulated distance over the three-day race won the overall Community Launch. A purse prize of $7,500 was shared between the winners. The first place pilot for Friday was David Lynch; Saturday was Greg Taggart and Sunday was Ken Custis. The overall first place winner was Brian Kelly. Second place overall went to Greg Taggart and third place overall went to Scott Shields. The sponsor of the winning pilot, Brian Kelly, was R.R. Donnelley and Sons Co., who won a granite trophy and two tickets to any Reno Air west coast destination.
The internationally attended event ended on a high note with Sunday providing another splendid day for flying. I spoke to Bob Linde, who won last year's Sportsman of the Year Award, and he said there is something special about coming to Reno that he really enjoys. The area is not only beautiful for flying, but the community supports the pilots tremendously and it's one of the events that he always looks forward to attending.
This year's Sportsman of the Year Award was given to Bob McElrath for his honesty in admitting that he threw an illegal toss and reported it to the officials. Although the officials were not aware of his violation, he was honest enough to point it out to them himself, asking them to remove his result from the list. For this, he truly deserved the Sportsman of the Year Award!
After a fierce weekend of competition Patrick Michaels sponsored by British Airways was awarded first place for his throw on Friday, Bill Dobbs sponsored by River City Rentals took first place Saturday and Curt Bramble sponsored by Piscevich & Fenner was awarded first place for Sunday's competition.
The big overall winner for the Hare & Hound competition went to Steve Whiteley of Albuquerque, New Mexico, sponsored by Bob Fuller, who was awarded with a check for $2,000. Second overall went to Lonny Pagh of Sonoma, California, sponsored by Safeway and third place was taken by Glo Kehoe sponsored by TBS.
Making the pilots and crew feel right at home in the "Biggest Little City in the World," the Eldorado Hotel/Casino sponsored a "Welcome Night" in their ballroom Thursday evening. The elegant Silver Legacy hosted a 50's sock hop dinner and silent auction, complete with Elvis and Marilyn Monroe Friday night.
Downtown Reno sparked with excitement Saturday night on Virginia Street outside the Silver Legacy with a fabulous performance of Reno's own Philharmonic Orchestra under the stars following by a stunning fireworks show.
Thanks to the Wilbur May Foundation, the 1997 featured special shape balloon was the Nassau Bay Texas Shuttle Balloon modeled after NASA's own Space Shuttle. This special shape offered an appropriate tribute to the birth of aviation and its development. The shuttle gave tethered rides to children from the Children's Cabinet throughout the weekend. Without the support of the Wilbur May Foundation over the years, hundreds of children would not know the experience of riding in a balloon. Organizers of the Great Reno Balloon Race hoped that this year's Space Shuttle would send the imaginations and spirits of area children soaring out of this world.
Since hot air ballooning events inspire photographers to shoot rolls and rolls of pictures, each year the Great Reno Balloon Race committee sponsors a photo contest for the best pictures taken during the event. Winner of the 1996 photo contest was Terry Doukas of Omaha, Nebraska who captured the beauty of an early morning flight with the silhouette of a single balloon against the golden glow of a dawn background. If you are an amateur photographer that attended this year's Great Reno Balloon Race and think you have a "winning" shot, it's not too late to enter the contest. Write to The Great Reno Balloon Race at P.O. Box 12695, Reno, NV 89510 for an official entry form and contest rules. All entries must be received or postmarked no later than February 15, 1998.
>