May 2000
astatesongthatmentionswind
sweepin’downtheplain,it’struethat
some parts of Oklahoma can be challeng-
ing if you’rea balloonist. But the40 active
pilotsinthe statesaytheflyingthereis
OK with them as long as you don’t intend
toflyevery day.
“We only have about 70 flyable days
close to Oklahoma City,” said Lynn Har-
ris,aballoonistwholivesthere.“You
have to be very experienced in flying with
winds.”
Oklahoma City, ontheeasternmost
edge of the Great Plains, often receives a
flowofwindofftheRockies,hesaid.
Passengerswantingaballoonrideare
usuallyputonalist,andif theweather
looks promising fora flight, they are called
withvery little notice.
“In Oklahoma, you either have a very
windyday,oradeadcalmday,”said
MichaelScott, a professional balloonpi-
lot from Oklahoma City. “It’s either 10 to
12 knots or it’s calm.”
Flights takehimover flatfarmland,
often full of wheat or cows. “Most of our
flights, we try to land in a semi-populated
area,” he said. “Typical launch winds are
8to10knots,andourtypicallanding
winds are up to 20,” he said. He’s quick to
add that he’s not taking passengers in that
wind—mostofhisflyingiscorporate
work.
Areapilotschargearound$250a
couple. And they can be treated to a vari-
ety of landscapes.
“I thinkit’srealprettyflyinghere,”
said Edna Thompson, who, with her hus-
band,Greg,havebeenballooningpio-
neerssouthofOklahomaCityfor more
than 20years. “We have a real variety of
landscape, with a patch oftrees here, a red
plowedfieldthere andthe yellow of the
wheat.”
Highwindscanposeproblems,but
Thompsonsaidpilotswantingagentle
landing shouldn’t fly longer than an hour
inthe morning.
“Onthe goodflyable days, you usu-
allyhaveacalminflationandusually
travel agood distance,”she said. “Usually
an hour’s flight will take you 10 miles and
you can have a stand-uplanding.”
“InTulsa, lessthan 100miles to the
year.
“Westof I-35isflatplainscountry
andopengrasslands,”Harris said. “East
of I-35, it just immediately becomes veg-
etation with atremendous amount oftrees,
rollinghillsandallsortsofnaturalre-
sources that canbreakthe winds.”
Pilots estimate there are 16 balloon-
andanother10“justsprinkledaround”
thestate.FrankCapps,wholivesnear
Tulsa, is the only designated examiner for
balloons in the state, and operates the only
balloon repair station.
But whether it’s flat plains or rolling
hills,itgetsmightyhotinthesummer,
whichisthebesttimeforballooningin
Oklahoma, pilots say. Ona typical sum-
mer flight, it’s not uncommon to fly when
itis 90 or 100degreesoutside.
“You keep big towels soaked in your
toputaroundyourneckwhen
you take off,” Scott said. “With that heat,
the backof your headgets bright red.”
The middle of summer is alsowhen
youcanfindannualballooneventsin
Oklahoma, including large ones in Okla-
homa City and in Tulsa,inAugust.
“Ifyou wanttoplantoflyata time
without rain and little wind, unfortunately
it’s in July and August,” Capps said.
Most of the flights involve fun com-
petition.“Wedon’tsanctiontheevents
because nobody really cares aboutitthat
much,” Cappssaid.
Oneofthemostuniqueeventsfor
balloonistsinOklahomaisduringthe
Tahlequahrally,whenpilotsparticipate
ina “cadaver drop.”
“Theythrowalivebodyfromthe
balloons,buttheycan’tbehigherthan
4,000 feet AGL, so that forces them to be
closetothetarget,”Cappssaid.Fortu-
nately, the live bodies have parachutes.
Oklahoma isalsohometothe Fed-
eral AviationAdministration. So isitin-
timidating flying so close to officials who
could readily pullyour license?
“Theyareabsolutelymarvelousto
workwith,”Harrissaid.“We’vetaken
inspectorsfromourFSDO,thepeople
who make the rules, and we’re on a first-
name basiswithmanyof the people out
there.”
ThecloseproximitytotheFAA
makesiteasytofindguestspeakersat
club meetings,too.
Twoballoonclubsho ldmo nthly
meetingsinOklahomaCityandTulsa.
Andeachyear,ontheweekendbefore
LaborDay,pilotsandcrewsfromboth
clubs gatherfora fun, totally commercial-
freeweekendofcampingandflyingat
Fort Gibson Lake.
Thetwo clubs, along with theWichita
(Kansas) Highwinders, take turns hosting
anannualsafety seminar.
Capps, whotouredthe countrywith
corporate balloons, said many think Okla-
homapilotsareaccustomedtoflyingin
highwinds.
“Peoplethinkweflyinthesegosh
awful windsandwe don’t,” Cappssaid.
“Wedon’tflyifwethinkwewillbe
landing in 15knots of wind.”
and Jim Reynolds, of Bartlesville, to com-
memorate the state’s 75th anniversary in
1981. The ballo on’s registration, N-
1907S, signifies they year Oklahoma be-
came a state. The state flag was hand
painted in oil. This photo was taken on the
steps of the capital in Oklahoma City by
Dr. Bill Owen.
May 2000
Tulsa Cloud Dancers, about 60 members, 15 of them pilots,
monthly meetings the second Wednesday of each month in
Tulsa,parties,glows, mass ascensions scheduled thethird
Sunday each month. Dues are$18, or $24 per family and
includes amonthly newsletter,“Cloud Answer.” Contact:
1006 W. Pittsburgh Place, Broken Arrow, OK 74012.
OklahomaWindriders,about100members,including30
balloon owners;monthly meetings on the second Thursday of
the month with guest speakers, monthly flights scheduled;
Christmas party,picnics,aswell as non-ballooning group
events, including attending sporting games. Annual dues are
$18, $24 for families; $6 initiation fee needed the first year.
Monthlynewsletter “Windriders News”available in the mail
or on-line.Contact: P.O.Box 20914,Oklahoma City, OK
73156.
Balloon Blast,in Cleveland,20 balloons fly threeflights
Memorial Day weekend,Friday evening through Saturday
evening in fun competitionfor a $2,000 purse; reflected glows
on Keystone Lake. Contact: Contact: Frank Capps, P.O. Box
187, Jenks, OK 74037. 918-299-2979.
MagnoliaFestival, in Durant, 22 balloons fly the first weekend
in June; four flights in fun competition for a $2,000 purse;
carnival rides, live entertainment, arts and crafts, glow. Con-
tact: Frank Capps, P.O. Box 187, Jenks, OK 74037. 918-299-
2979.
Balloons Over Ardmore, third weekend in July, 30balloonsfly
four flights, Friday afternoon through Sunday morning in fun
competition for GPS prizes. Events are held at the Ardmore
airport, south of the Chickasaw National Recreation Center
and Arbuckle Mountains, and include an antique car show,
airplane display, glows, a mass ascension and hare and hound.
Contact: Marvin Polzien, 819 Wood-N-Creek, Ardmore, OK
73401. 580-223-3910.
gust, 75 balloons glow Friday evening and fly three flights
Saturday morning through Sunday morning in competitionfor
$5,000 in prizes; two key grabs for a vehicle and $2,500 cash;
arts festival, children’s games and pettingzoo, alltobenefit the
Gatesway Foundation which helps mentally and physically
disabled adults tolive independently. Contact:PhillipThomp-
son, 5123 W. 85th South, Tulsa, OK 74131. 918-227-1399.
http://www.gatesway.org/balloon.htm
Southwestern Bell OKC BalloonFest, in Oklahoma City, sec-
ond weekend inAugust,65 balloons; threeflights Friday
evening through Saturday evening, forfuncompetitionwith30
prizes;Oklahoma Moon Glows, Friday and Saturday; a week-
end family festival of carnival rides, rubber duck races, car
showsandvintage airplane displays.Contact:Dawn Burroughs,
P.O. Box 14818, Oklahoma City, OK 73113. 405-948-4000.
www.balloonfest.com
Illinois River Balloonfest, in Tahlequah, 30 balloons fly the
third weekend in August;four flights, Friday evening through
Sunday morning in fun competition for $5,000 purse; glows;
parachutist drop; carnival rides, live entertainment, arts and
crafts, tractor pulls and car show. Contact: Frank Capps, P.O.
Box 187, Jenks, OK 74037. 918-299-2979.
And he has no plans of moving to a
more suitable locale. “We’ve flown in
probably two-thirds of the United States
and it’s all wonderful and nice, but we
have four seasons here andwe canflyyear
around,” Capps said. “There’s no reason
to move.”
called “Pistol Pete” and the balloon’s
name is “For Pete’s Sake.”Football hel-
met balloon was named for the Okla-
homa University flight song “Boomer
Sooner” and is called “Ballooner
Sooner.” Both balloons are owned by
Greg and Edna Thompson.
